With the number of containment zones within their limits rising, the Ernakulam Rural police have decided to adopt a cautious double shift system in police stations within the zones so that the entire workforce is not exposed to infection at the same time. The system kicked in on Tuesday.
“It will come into effect in almost 50% of stations having containment zones. Men in each shift will work continuously for a week while those in the other shift will stay back at home. More importantly, those on duty will not be allowed to go back home during the course of the week and will either have to stay put at their place of duty or station as the case may be. Thereafter, the second shift will take over and vice versa,” said K. Karthik, District Police Chief (Ernakulam Rural). The system will be in place till further orders.
The two-shifts system was proposed by the State Police Chief for the entire State long before COVID-19 cases surged at an alarming proportion. However, that proposal remained largely on paper, as the duty of police personnel increased with the corresponding increase in the number of people returning from other States and countries.
Meanwhile, the situation in rural police limits remained far from comfortable with the number of containment zones surging past 50. With the primary and secondary contacts of the infected in Aluva market turning positive, the police have no intention of lifting the restrictions in Aluva municipality.
