E-Paper
Health min allows celebrations outside containment zones, issues SOPs ahead of festive season
Ahead of festive season, health ministry allows celebrations outside containment zones; issues SOPs for venue management.
The health ministry on Tuesday said that people living outside containment zones can take part in festivities that are set to begin across the country in the upcoming weeks. It also released a set of protocols explaining how to safely celebrate festivals amid the Covid-19 pandemic safely.
It issued several guidelines on how to regulate movement of crowds in venues, ensuring crowd control through pre-planning and route planning ahead of immersion dates in view of Diwali, Durga Puja and Navratra.
As the festival season comes nearer, the health ministry has asked festival committees to ensure that they have adequate amounts of face masks, hand sanitisers, thermal guns and stickers to paste on the floor to ensure social distancing. Health ministry has also asked organisers to devise a plan to regulate the number of visitors.
The health ministry has also asked all stakeholders to conduct meetings and ensure CCTVs are installed in festival venues to keep check if devotees are following Covid-19 prevention rules.
The guidelines also have requested people who are currently residing in containment zones to participate in festivities while remaining indoors. People from contaminant zones will be barred from entering the festivities.
The health ministry has also asked committees, which will be overseeing preparations, to prominently display a chart of Dos and Don’ts in the venue. They have also been asked to ensure that multimedia and audio-video tools will be used to spread awareness regarding Covid-19 and for issuing continuous reminders to devotees to adhere Covid-19 preventative measures.
Committees have also been asked to reserve a room which can be used as a designated isolation room for any person who is exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19.
