Coronavirus | Chennai Corporation will finalise sero-testing norms for corporates in 2 days

At least 10 lakh employees to be screened under initiative

Intensive measures: Residents being screened at a fever camp on Wall Tax Road.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is drawing up guidelines for corporates to test employees for COVID-19.

Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash on Monday told The Hindu that the testing of employees in corporate entities was so far not mandatory. However, the civic body is planning to issue an “advisory” to corporate entities to test their employees for the disease.

Testing of antibodies in blood serum will have to be followed by confirmatory tests for active cases by the GCC.

At least 10 lakh employees, who pay professional tax to the Greater Chennai Corporation, may be screened by the companies using their own funds. At least 1.36 lakh assessees, that are organisations ranging from banks to IT companies, have been paying professional tax, from their employees’ salary. Most such companies are likely to be directed to test their employees.

For example, bank branches with large footfalls are likely to be asked to test all their employees at frequent intervals. Some of the essential services and media organisations will be exempt from testing employees, Mr. Prakash said.

The GCC will finalise the guidelines in two days. The civic body is also expected to study various aspects of the impact of the pandemic on corporates. Officials said the testing was not likely to be made “mandatory” unless it was required to contain the spread of the disease. But if it is made mandatory, they will also be held accountable in case there is a rise in number of positive cases on the premises.

Former Chennai Corporation floor leader V. Sukumar Babu said corporates that were registering a decline in earnings because of the pandemic would not be able to spend money for testing employees.