Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday, December 22, appealed to everyone to celebrate Christmas in a simple manner, just like other festivals celebrated earlier this year, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Days ahead of the festival, the state home minister in an official statement released guidelines for people to follow while celebrating the festival. He also urged the citizens to observe physical distancing norms, wearing masks in public and using sanitisers in order to curb the spread of the infection.
As per the guidelines issued by the state government, prayer meetings in churches should be organised with attendance of a maximum of 50 persons at a time on the day of Christmas. The choir should have a maximum of 10 members, the statement said.
It is very important for everyone to wear masks while in church, the guidelines add.
Deshmukh also suggested organising thanksgiving mass in churches at 7 pm or before that instead of midnight on December 31. As on December 21, the Maharashtra government imposed a night curfew in the city and state in light of a new strain of COVID-19 being discovered in the UK, Italy and South Africa.
While stating that special care should be taken for people above 60 and kids below 10, the Home Department advised such individuals to avoid going out and celebrate Christmas indoors. The organizers should arrange for online masses for them, the guidelines suggest.
Referring to Christmas processions, the government said they should not be carried out in a manner so as to attract crowds. As per the guidelines, no firecrackers should be burst during these processions.
Share
Tweet
