MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: As the Central government announced Unlock 1 for phased re-opening of almost all activities outside the containment zones from June 8, the Goa government has released a comprehensive list of do’s and don’ts during the current COVID pandemic, spelling out a series of precautions that need to be taken in various aspects of life, including in public places or public transport and so also in dealing with house-helpers.
The Goa Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (GIPARD) and the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine of the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Bambolim have prepared a handbook, which contains a set of precautionary guidelines for housing societies, educational institutions and government as well as private offices, banks, police, grocery shops and vendors, hotel owners and public transport systems.
The handbook “A Guide on General Precautions for COVID-19 Preventions”, specifically states that all elders above 65 years, as well as those with health issues and lower immunity like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, kidney ailment, cancer, etc, should stay home and not be allowed to venture into public places.
The domestic help should use hand sanitisers before entering and leaving homes, states the handbook.
“If any refreshments or meals are to be served to them, the same may be given in a tiffin box or appropriate container, to consume it at their homes,” it adds.
“Watchmen and security guards may be instructed not to touch ID cards, letters, licences, etc, while allowing people to enter the housing compounds; without wearing gloves,” the guidelines state.
Further on the precautions to be taken while using public transport, the book states the “vehicles should be sanitised or disinfected preferably after each trip, and certainly at the end of the day”. It also suggests that the drivers and conductors should always wear masks and compel passengers to wear masks too.
“The drivers, helpers and conductors should wash their hands or take bath and wash their clothes at the end of the day and maintain proper hygiene,” it adds.
Urging private and government office heads to ensure the standard precautionary measures like availability of hand sanitisers, maintaining social distancing and ensuring basic hygiene, the book mentions that every office should create a task force or a vigilance team to supervise social distancing, cleanliness, while urging employers to arrange periodical psychological counselling for employees.
“Every office should formulate a Resilience Plan, with details of helpline numbers, nearest hospitals, deep cleaning and sanitation schedules, proper seating arrangements and facilities to attend to the visiting public or clients,” it advises.
Even as the educational institutions are yet to re-open, it states that physical distancing, wearing of masks, use of sanitisers, disinfecting the premises, and regular health checkup of students, teaching and non-teaching staff is must.
Advising banks to relocate their cheque drop boxes outside the bank’s interiors, it also instructs tellers to “sanitise their hands frequently and preferably after every transaction”.
“Guards manning the ATMs should be provided with sanitisers and they should ask every customer to sanitise their hands every time they enter to make a transaction,” the book specifies, adding that thermal guns should be used to check temperatures of employees and visitors in every workspace, run by both private and government agencies.
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STATE'S PRECAUTIONARY GUIDELINES
* People with lower immunity like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, kidney ailment, cancer, etc, should stay home and not venture into public places.
* Domestic help should use hand sanitisers before entering and leaving homes.
* Watchmen and security guards may be instructed not to touch ID cards, letters, licences, etc, while allowing people to enter the housing compounds; without wearing gloves.
* Public transport should be sanitised or disinfected preferably after each trip, and at the end of the day.
* Drivers and conductors should always wear masks and compel passengers to wear masks too.
* Private and government office heads urged to make availability of hand sanitisers, maintaining social distancing and ensuring basic hygiene.
* In educational institutions physical distancing, wearing of masks, use of sanitisers, disinfecting the premises, and regular health checkup of students, teaching and non-teaching staff is must.
* Banks advised to relocate cheque drop boxes outside the bank’s interiors, tellers instructed to “sanitise their hands frequently and preferably after every transaction”.
* Guards manning the ATMs should be provided with sanitisers and should ask every customer to sanitise their hands every time they enter to make a transaction.
