In a move to contain the increasing spread of coronavirus, the State government has issued fresh guidelines to its employees on the issuance of passes and other precautions to be taken in tune with the Ministry of Home Affairs instructions during the lockdown period. This is to ensure not to dilute the containment and safety measures.
The new guidelines issued include not allowing any person/employee residing in the containment zones to go out including attending office. In a memo issued by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar on Tuesday, no employee residing in the containment zones and also buffer zones, three kilometres around the containment zones, be allowed to attend the office.
Minimum staff, on rota basis
Along with ensuring minimum staff to attend the office on a rotation basis as indicated earlier, the memo instructs the heads of offices to make seating arrangements in the office concerned - both in sections and rooms - by maintaining at least six feet distance between every employee on duty on a particular day.
Besides, the office in-charges have been told to ensure that disinfection protocols are followed in the office premises as also in rooms/chambers and arrange soap/sanitizers for frequent hand wash/rub by the staff on duty.
Sans six feet distance
Enquiries made with a few government offices in the peripheral areas (within GHMC limits) revealed that in several offices, the six-feet distance between the seating of two employees on duty is not being followed and the staff are not being provided with soap or sanitizer to wash/rub hands frequently. “As there’s no arrangement of even soap, the staff on turn duties are forced to make hand wash/rub arrangements on our own,” an employee with an office engaged in field visits to detect irregularities in sale of all material, including food and quality check in works executed by government departments told The Hindu .
The guidelines also instructed the office heads to ensure that no employee with higher risk - older employees, pregnant women staff and those having underlying medical conditions (co-morbidity) - be called to office, unless it is essential. Sending physical files/documents to other offices has been advised to the extent possible by making use of official email.
Passes with clear dates
Regarding the issuance of passes, the memo makes it clear that dates/days on which the employee’s presence is required in the office be mentioned on the pass. Gathering of five or more employees at any place in an office be avoided and visitors be discouraged to meet employees unless inevitable. Even the delivery of post/courier be taken at the entry point of the office premises itself.
The authorities are also advised to sanction leave to any employee if he/she makes a request for self-quarantine as a precautionary measure.
