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Weddings flouting guidelines with ‘time slot guests’: PHIs 

24 Oct 2021

By Dinitha Rathnayake People are failing to responsibly follow the Covid-19-related health guidelines during wedding events, claimed Public Health Inspectors (PHI), with some weddings having different guests at certain time slots, resulting in a large number of people attending these weddings. PHI Union Secretary Mahinda Balasuriya, speaking to The Morning, said that even though only a maximum of 50 persons are allowed to participate in weddings, organisers have circumvented this by giving guests time slots to participate. “We experienced several incidents where locals did not follow the guidelines. They have interpreted the guidelines according to their needs, especially during weddings. I visited a wedding where the guests were invited according to a time slot. In this instance, 50 were invited for an hour, and another 50 were invited to come during another hour.” Health authorities have therefore urged the public to act responsibly by following the health guidelines during the next few days to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Speaking to the media, Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director-General, and the Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head Dr. Hemantha Herath earlier said that though the caseload has declined considerably, the danger is still there. “So, people should further continue to maintain the physical distance, wear masks, wash hands, and follow all the other instructions given by the health authorities.” Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella said people who have been administered both doses of a vaccine would be allowed to participate in public gatherings in the future. According to sources, the total participation at weddings would also be increased to 100 under new health guidelines. Attempts to speak to the Police Media Spokesman, Colombo Municipal Council Commissioner, and the Health Ministry Communications Director, Public Health Services Deputy Director-General, and the Disaster Preparedness and Response Division Head regarding the matter were unsuccessful.


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