Not more than 200 people will be allowed in Churches across Ranchi for Christmas mass on Friday morning owing to Covid-19 restrictions, while revelers have been requested to keep children below the age of 10 years and senior citizens away from the religious gatherings as they were vulnerable to the virus and more likely to develop severe symptoms, officials from the Ranchi district administration said on Thursday.
“The Government’s latest decision of allowing only 200 people at religious gatherings will be followed during Christmas mass and gatherings too,” said acting Ranchi sub divisional officer Manoj Kumar.
Earlier, huge gatherings were organised at grounds and churches for prayers and feast on Christmas. However, in the wake of the pandemic, revelers have been asked to attend the gatherings in groups. “Separate timings have been set for residents of different localities to attend the prayers in the Church in order to avoid overcrowding,” said Rohit Murmu, who visits Harmu St. Francis Church every Christmas.
Officials said that the government was unlikely to come up with a fresh set of guidelines for Christmas and New Year, and the latest notification issued from the Home, Prisons and Disaster Management Department earlier this month will be applicable across the State.
The acting SDO said that all the police stations across the city have also been instructed to intensify patrolling and make sure that unmonitored gatherings on the roads are avoided during the festival. “The cops have also been asked to keep a watch on drunken driving and inebriated revelers on the roads,” he said.
The Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) has also set a time limit on bursting crackers during Christmas and New Year. Revelers will be allowed to burst crackers only from 11.55pm to 12.30am on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, latest directive from the pollution watchdog States.