Heavy cost of dropping guard at family functions

It is good that the police were to the gathering and actually fined the violators

The Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation swooped down on a wedding and stopped the gathering for flouting Covid-19 restrictions. There were at least 60 guests at the wedding, flouting the guidelines that say there should be only 25 people. There is also a time restriction on such gatherings. The bride’s family had to pay Rs 50,000 as fine.

It is good that the police were alert to the gathering and actually fined the violators. It is the duty of the hosts to find out, through credible sources, from the municipal authorities in this instance, just how many people are allowed. They also have to get an estimate of the time, there are restrictions, that has been green-lighted for weddings. Too often, maybe not in this case, wedding parties claim they are unaware of the exact numbers or rules, or have been misled by somebody or the other.

The hall/location which has been booked must also bar guests over a certain number, or at the outset tell the host, that one is booking the venue but all Covid-appropriate guidelines need to be followed.

It is vital, even in small gatherings, to observe social distance. In these meetings, masks are removed often. This is for family photographs or eating a meal together. At other times though, guests or the larger family simply believe that they can remove their masks as they are in the company of the familiar, or that family members are known to them, so it will be impossible to transmit the virus.

This is dangerous complacency and can result in the virus transmitting very quickly to the entire family or distant relatives who have attended this wedding. Keep numbers within restrictions. One understands that these are joyous occasions, but one has to maintain distance. Always keep in mind that a few minutes of letting one’s guard down, can result in a regret of a lifetime.

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