The Karnataka government has decided to depute marshalls at all major churches in Bengaluru to assist the management in maintaining Covid norms amid fears of the Omicron variant, following the introduction of guidelines for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
To guarantee that no large crowds gather during this period, the authorities have given the job of maintaining Covid guidelines to respective police, district, and corporation commissioners.
Although the state administration has approved mass prayers, it has forbidden the use of public spaces, roads, and parks for Christmas celebrations.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has asked church officials to follow norms when holding mass prayers and to keep crowds to a minimum.
A special team of church marshals has been organised to keep track of crowds and ensure that devotees wear masks and keep their distance from one another.
According to BBMP sources, churches have been sent a circular instructing them to take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the infection during mass prayers.
They’ve also been told to contact BBMP ward officers if they need any help.
The state’s Christmas celebrations began on Friday evening. The mass prayers drew tens of thousands of people. The enthusiasts also blew up fireworks and prepared special cakes to hand out to the crowd.
(With IANS inputs)