Masks come off, rallies begin as India's COVID-19 patient load falls

A man reacts as a healthcare worker collects a swab sample from him to test for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a kiosk in Ahmedabad, India, December 6, 2021. REUTERS/Amit Dave/Files

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India reported its lowest tally of active COVID-19 cases in 18 months on Monday, but a sharp drop in the use of protective face masks is causing concern after a rise in the number of infections with the Omicron variant.

Many people have been standing or sitting close to each other without masks, or covering only their chins, at big rallies held by political parties in several states before elections. Something similar happened before the Delta variant ravaged India from April.