Anti-Covid measures beefed up in Lko, ban on get-togethers
LUCKNOW : Organising rain dance events, get-togethers, cultural programmes and parties may invite legal action as the district administration on Tuesday imposed a ban on all such activities in Lucknow till further orders. Permission given earlier for such events also stands cancelled.
The decision is part of the UP government’s measures for the containment of Covid ahead of the Panchayat elections and Holi, said officials.
Officials stated that no processions will be taken out without prior permission and Covid test of all those coming in from high-incidence states will be mandatory.
As per the guidelines applicable across UP, the responsibility of implementing precautionary measures like maintaining social distancing and wearing of masks by people participating in programmes
will be on the organisers.
Organisers (of public events granted permission) will not allow people above 60 or below 10 years of age or those with co-morbidities in such events, as per the guidelines issued by UP chief secretary RK Tiwari a day after the chief minister held a high-level meeting to discuss anti-Covid measures.
The fresh directives mandate Covid tests of passengers at railway stations, bus stations and airports besides reactivating Covid helpdesks, running dedicated Covid hospitals in all districts and keeping other hospitals ready for any future needs. There is emphasis on identifying suspected cases with the help of thermometers and oximeters.
The order also includes the announcement by the chief minister on Monday regarding schools. All divisional and district officials have been asked to declare Holi holidays in all private, government, and semigovernment schools from March 24 to March 31. Holi holidays have also been declared in other educational institutions (barring medical and nursing colleges), and those places where exams are on.
The chief secretary also directed that a nodal officer be deployed for every gram panchayat in villages and each municipal ward in cities. This nodal officer will coordinate with the nigrani samitis (vigilance committees) so that people coming outside get tested and stay home till test reports come.
Tiwari also directed the state administration to ensure that there is no crowding at public places and asked the police to take all necessary measures.
He also specified a guideline for jails, saying whenever a jail inmate goes out or returns, all protocols including social distancing be followed, and when an inmate returns, he or she should undergo Covid test first.
Tiwari said help desks at various places should be reactivated to test any suspected case by using pulse oximetre and infrared thermometer.
“Cases are on the rise, hence we have decided to impose a ban on holding parties and gettogethers, especially rain dance events that are generally a trend during summer season,” said Abhishek Prakash, district magistrate, Lucknow.
In case of any important event, organisers have to take prior permission that would be granted only if the organiser assures that Covid protocols would be followed strictly. Those found violating norms would be subjected to legal action under The Epidemic Act, he added.
ORGANISERS (OF PUBLIC EVENTS GRANTED PERMISSION) WILL NOT ALLOW PEOPLE ABOVE 60 OR BELOW 10 YEARS OF AGE OR THOSE WITH COMORBIDITIES IN SUCH EVENTS, AS PER THE GUIDELINES