Jamshedpur: All social, religious and other gatherings in the Steel City will now require permission from the East Singhbhum administration, officials said on Sunday.
The move came after the surge in Covid-19 cases in the district in the past week and after considering the experts' view that a second wave of the pandemic has already started in the region.
The officials said the new guidelines on gatherings will have to be followed strictly and violators will be punished along with the filing of FIRs against them.
Moreover, street food vendors who do not follow the Covid-19 safety protocols will be taken to task by seizing their goods and filing of FIRs. According to the guidelines, no food vendor is allowed to serve their customers but can deliver only parcel food, additional district magistrate Nand Kishore Lal said.
He added that surprise raids would be conducted at restaurants to ensure that they follow the protocols, including maintaining social distancing and wearing of masks.
Meanwhile, motorcycle-borne policemen were seen patrolling the city to check violators of the protocols. The steps taken up by the administration were welcomed by a large section of society.