Omicron In Mumbai: BMC Issues Warning For Those Violating Norms Ahead Of Christmas, New Year’s Eve

In a veiled reference to Bollywood parties, the BMC chief stated that celebrities and eminent personalities who have an influence on society must act accordingly.

Representative Photo: PTI

New Delhi: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Saturday said that ward-level squads will be formed to take action against COVID-19 protocol violators in Mumbai.

As the Christmas-New Year festival season approaches amid the scare from the new Omicron variant of coronavirus, he said people in Mumbai must avoid crowding in hotels, restaurants, cinemas, malls.

Attendance caps in place for marriages and other functions will have to be adhered to strictly, he asserted, as reported by news agency PTI.

The civic chief mentioned that the attendance limit is 50 per cent of capacity for confined/closed spaces, while it is 25 per cent of capacity in open places. Also, any gathering of over 1,000 people will require the prior permission of the Local Disaster Management Authority.

“Use a mask properly, get fully vaccinated. A new variant of the COVID-19 virus called Omicron is spreading rapidly around the world, putting a strain on the health system. Despite repeated appeals by the government and administration to prevent a probable third wave, it has been observed that guidelines are not being followed properly in most places, especially in wedding functions and other ceremonies,” the BMC commissioner noted.

“Those violating COVID-19 rules will be dealt with severely by civic ward level teams as well as the police,” he warned while he mentioned that the outbreak situation in the metropolis was under control at present due to the cooperation of citizens as well as the excellent management and speed of the vaccination drive.

The spread of Omicron had once again forced several nations to impose lockdown and other prohibitory measures, and the Union and state governments were continuously asking people to be vigilant to prevent a similar situation in India, Iqbal Chahal said.

In a veiled reference to Bollywood parties, the BMC chief stated that celebrities and eminent personalities who have an influence on society, must act accordingly and be aware of issues.

Guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government on November 27 as well as Mumbai police notifications warning of action against violators under IPC and Epidemic Diseases Act must be followed strictly by people, he added.

 Asking all stakeholders to adhere to guidelines strictly, Iqbal Singh Chahal further said that “in the near future, the risk of COVID-19 virus spread may increase if ceremonies and functions are held on the occasion of Christmas and New Year. There is a need to curb the growing crowd at weddings and other ceremonies. Moreover, hotels, restaurants and other public establishments have also been found to be flouting COVID-19 norms”.

He urged citizens to get both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible, warning that action will be taken if staff functioning at public places or establishments and attendees at events, ceremonies are found to be not fully vaccinated as it is mandatory.

(With Agency Inputs)