The Mizoram government has decided to make appeals to churches not to celebrate Christmas and New Year in a manner which could attract public gathering to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission.
State health minister, R. Lalthangliana on Tuesday held a meeting with leaders of churches and civil society organizations to discuss the issue.
All churches will be asked to avoid church service, congregational singing locally called Zaikhawm, community feast and other social gatherings that are an integral part of Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Separate guidelines will also be formulated for the festive season as well as for traders to prevent an economic slowdown in the state, said a government official.
Kiosks or mobile testing facilities will also be set up in Aizwal to facilitate Covid-19 testing.
The government has also decided to ban firecrackers, sky lanterns and other pyrotechnics, including toy guns during the festive season to curb pollution levels, which could aggravate respiratory problems in Covid-19 patients.
Also read: Nagaland to celebrate Green Christmas this year
The state has recorded a spike in Covid-19 cases recently with 3,745 people testing positive for the virus so far.
The number of active cases stands at 442 and the disease has so far claimed five lives in the state.
Similarly, Nagaland will be celebrating an environment-friendly Christmas this year through the “Nagaland for Green Christmas” campaign.
This campaign aims to celebrate Christmas by adhering to United Nations’ sustainable development goals and mobilize all people to celebrate a sustainable and green Christmas.
This initiative encourages the Naga people to make small choices in their lives that help to create a balance in the ecology of the state.