Union Health Ministry has released guidelines for the offices and working place which are open as a part of relaxation given in the fourth version of lockdown.
According to the guidelines, there is no need to close the entire office building and stall work in other areas of the office, and work can be resumed after disinfection as per laid down protocol if there are one or two cases of coronavirus reported. The disinfection procedure will be limited to areas visited by the patient in the past 48 hours.
However, if there is a large outbreak, the entire building will have to be sealed for 48 hours for thorough disinfection, Health Ministry said.
All the staff will work from home till the building is adequately disinfected and is declared fit for re-occupation, it added.
“A risk assessment will be undertaken by the designated public health authority (district RRT/treating physician) and accordingly further advice shall be made regarding the management of the case, his/her contacts and need for disinfection,” said the Health Ministry.
“The necessary actions for contact tracing and disinfection of the workplace will start once the report of the patient is received as positive. The report will be expedited for this purpose,” it added.
That all the employees and visitors will follow simple public health measures like respiratory etiquettes, the physical distancing of at least one meter, mandatory use of face covers or masks and practice frequent hand washing for at least 40-60 seconds even when hands are not visibly dirty and use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers for at least 20 seconds, the guidelines said.
“Any staff requesting home quarantine based on the containment zone activities in their residential areas should be permitted to work from home,” it said.
Government has extended the lockdown till May 31 keeping in mind the spread of deadly coronavirus in the country.
Cases of coronavirus have crossed the 1 lakh mark with 3163 deaths due to it.