Special drive ordered against wedding halls, restaurants violating Covid SOPs

The Sindh home department has issued directives to law enforcers and the local government department to launch a special drive against wedding halls and restaurants violating the standard operating procedures put in place by the provincial government to check the spread of the novel coronavirus in the province.

The directives have been issued to the Sindh and Karachi police chiefs, the Karachi commissioner and other authorities. A notification issued in this regard on Friday says the home department is pleased to issue strict NPIs for enforcement, especially in Karachi Division and Hyderabad district, vide an order dated August 29, 2021. The order was further clarified on the same day.

The home department notification says the National Command and Operation Centre has decided to launch a special NPIs enforcement drive, especially for wedding halls, marquees and restaurants and hotels in high disease prevalence cities, i.e. Karachi and Hyderabad.”

According to the enforcement mechanism devised by the NCOC for this purpose, wedding halls and marquees will ensure that no indoor wedding events are held as they are currently banned, outdoor wedding events are held for a maximum of 300 guests, no outdoor wedding events are held beyond the prescribed time limit of 10pm, and that the Covid protocols are adhered to during outdoor wedding events.

Restaurants and hotels are obligated to ensuring that indoor dining is not held as it is currently banned, the outdoor dining is not held beyond prescribed time limit of 10pm, and that Covid protocols are adhered to during outdoor dining.

The authorities have been asked to take measures for the enforcement of rules at wedding halls, marquees, restaurants and hotels, and whichever is found to violate the NPIs will be sealed and arrests will be made on account of gross violations of NPIs.

The notification says national and local media houses will be energised for highlighting the NPIs compliance drive and actions initiated against violators. Alongside the abovementioned strict actions, the authorities have been requested to launch an obligatory regime for vaccination, and extensive communication and advertisement at prominent places, i.e. entry points of wedding halls, marquees, restaurants and hotels.