Wedding halls violate Covid-19 SOPs, one-dish rule

In the provincial capital, blatant violations of Covid19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) and onedish menu rules have started in marriage halls and actions will be taken against the violators, the district administration told Pakistan Today.

Rizwan Asim, manager of a wedding hall in GulshaneRavi Moon Market, said that the size of most halls was small, making it very difficult to implement Covid19 SOPs.

“Most of the people who organise wedding ceremonies here belong from middle class or lowermiddle class. These people have no special interest in coronavirus or its SOPs but focus on their event. By the way, we have appointed staff at the entrances of the wedding halls, who also urge the guests to wear masks and to take care of the social distance, but these guests cannot be forced,” Asim said.

Tabbasum Malik, owner of a wedding hall near Mughalpura, said that hosts should be liable for violating SOPs as well.

“Where the owners of the wedding halls follow the rules and regulations, the hosts and guests are violating all the rules and regulations. It is common for us to shake hands and hug at wedding ceremonies and people do not stop even though it is forbidden. In our society, when more than 50 people gather at a wedding ceremony, it is impossible to implement the condition of social distancing,” Malik said, adding that many hall owners feared another closure of wedding halls.

Naveed Hussain, manager of a wedding hall in Garden Town, lamented that the entire responsibility for the violations falls on the owners, and not the hosts or guests.

“There are a number of wedding halls in Garden Town and the onedish requirement is taken care of here but since the people coming for the celebrations belong to the uppermiddleclass or upper class […] they insist that more than one dish be served in the food for their guests. Some wedding hall owners say no, but some owners secretly violate the onedish rule. However, the insistence behind this violation lies with the host,” Hussain added.

Lahore Deputy Commissioner Mudassar Riaz said that the district administration was taking action against the violators of the SOPs and onedish rule.