The State Election Commission (SEC) has asked all District Collectors and Commissioners/Superintendents of Police in whose administrative purview the elections to several urban local bodies including Greater Warangal and Khammam Municipal Corporations and five other wards in as many ULBs were held on Friday to ensure that only COVID-negative functionaries enter the counting centres on Monday.
At a review meeting held with the officials on Saturday, State Election Commissioner C. Parthasarathi asked the police get all the personnel and officers to be deployed for the counting-related duties tested for coronavirus before the commencement of their duties for the purpose.
Similarly, he asked the District Collectors to get the Covid-19 tests conducted to all counting officials and other support staff, the counting agents of the candidates and the candidates themselves so that only those with negative reports were allowed into the counting centres.
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The SEC stated that required quantities of test kits were also being supplied to the authorities concerned to conduct the tests.
“Unlike the polling exercise in which the electorate who were allowed without any test reports the counting exercise involves some extent of safety concerns as all those involved in the process would have to be present in counting halls at least for six hours. The health of all others would be at risk – the chances of getting infected – in case even a few infected persons are present in the counting halls,” Mr. Parthasarathi explained.
Only those who test negative would be allowed to enter the counting centres that too after getting certified by the health officials before 6 am on the day of counting – May 3.
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To further reduce the risk to those involved in the counting process, thermal scanners would also be placed at the entrance of counting stations so that any person drawn for the purpose was stopped in case of having high temperature in spite of having the negative report, the SEC said.