MARGAO
For the first time in several years, Carnival will witness mellowed-down celebrations instead of extravagant parades and merry-makings with the State government planning just 2 days of festivities from Saturday.
With the carnival festivities being hosted in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers of the Carnival float parade in the commercial capital on Sunday will have an added task at hand “ to ensure they put in place the SOP in both letter and spirit along the float parade.
In fact, senior citizens above 65 year of age, besides children less than 10 years ago will not get the opportunity to watch the King Momo entering Margao “ Saxtti’s heartland on Sunday, and proclaiming three days of merry making during the Carnival festivities.
The district authorities have come out with a SOP for the Margao carnival float organizers, casting responsibility on the Margao Carnival Committee to ensure that senior citizens above 65 years, people with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children less than 10 stay home and are not admitted at the parade venue.
The SOP issued by the South Goa district Collector, Ruchika Katyal, IAS has told the organizers to ensure thermal screening of participants, physical distancing and sanitization of floats, besides sanitization of seating- area, as well as sanitization at the entry and exit points.
The SOP has made wearing mask compulsory, while directing the organizers to install cameras to monitor compliance of physical distance norms and wearing of masks at each venue.
Organizers have been told to set up a control room along with isolation facility for persons detected with Covid symptoms and arrangement of ambulance along with set up protocol should be ready to shift such persons.
While prohibiting spitting in any place, the SOP has called for sanitization of frequently utilized places at regular intervals.
The organizers have been told to cap the numbers of participants and floats for the event. The SOP mandates the organizers to deploy Medical team by the health department along with Health workers to monitor situation, with a further direction to install mechanized sanitizer stands at sufficient distance along the float route.
Stressing on proper crowd management at the parking lots and other crowded place, the SOP has mulled installation of pre-recorded announcement facility for social distancing and precautionary guidelines for Covid to be played at sufficient distance during event.
The SOP has mulled strict arrangements at the entry and exit points. Multiple and separate entry and exit points will be put in place to avoid crowding at the venture. All the entrance point should have the mandatory hand gloves and thermal screening provisions. Only those staff and visitors who are free of symptoms shall be allowed inside the venue.
Anyone found symptomatic during the thermal scanning should be politely refused with his/ her entry and advice to seek immediate medical care. Staff and visitors alike will be allowed entry only if they are using face cover/mask.
In the do’s and don’ts for the crowd, the district Collector’s SOP mandate the visitors at the venue to follow all the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs from time to time, with the Collector, Ruchika Katyal warning of punishment for any violation of the directives.
