Amid a scare over the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, the district administration on Thursday ordered issuance of challans for not wearing face masks and violating social distancing norms at public places.

As per the directions by Deputy Commissioner Yash Garg, the departments concerned such as the police, health and municipal corporation and committees have been ordered to issue challans to those not wearing face masks and violating social distancing norms at public places such as educational institutes, factories, business complexes, railway stations and bus stands.

All departments have been directed to ensure compliance of standard operating procedures for COVID-19-appropriate behaviour.

Tests ramped up

The directions come in the wake of instructions by Home Minister Anil Vij at a meeting with Health Department officials on November 30 to contain the spread of the new COVID-19 variant. During the meeting, the Minister was apprised of the 12,000 COVID-19 tests that were being conducted every day in the State and of the target being revised to 40,000 tests per day in the coming days.

As per the latest health bulletin, 19 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Gurugram on Friday and the number of active cases is 77.