On account of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration has reiterated the guidelines relating to public gatherings (funerals and weddings) in an effort to prevent further spread of the virus. A media statement released on Monday said the country is still under the state of emergency, therefore, as part of the guidelines by the ministry on account of COVID-19; designated marriage officers (ministers of religion and magistrates) who solemnise marriages are advised to ensure that the regulations prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people are adhered to. The statement also noted that informants of deaths, alternatively persons to whom death certificates and burial orders are issued, must ensure that preventive guideline are observed. “It is also their responsibility to inform the nearest police station of any change in the intended date or place of burial,” it read. According to the statement, persons officiating at memorial services and funerals must also ensure that the regulations are followed and social distancing is maintained. “It is for the collective good of the country for the regulations to be complied with,” it said. The statement further urged the public to voluntarily adhere to the regulations and the directives being issued in order to prevent further spread of COVID-19, saying non-adherence to the regulations is punishable by law and law enforcement officers may be deployed to places of marriage solemnisation and places of burials to enforce the regulations. -NAMPA