Coughing? Don’t come to work, says govt- Move a precaution after attendance of 70% employees was allowed in govt departments

Pranesh Sarkar, TT, Calcutta, 10.06.20: The Mamata Banerjee government notified on Tuesday that only asymptomatic officers and employees would be allowed to attend government offices in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Anyone with symptoms such as mild fever, cough and cold need not attend office, reads the order issued by the finance department on Tuesday.

Sources in the state government said the move was taken as a precaution after attendance of 70 per cent employees was allowed in government departments from Monday.

“Already a number of senior officials, including two in the chief minister’s office, have been sent to home isolation after their drivers tested positive (for Covid-19). The government is being careful,” said a senior Nabanna official, justifying the notification.

The notification also spelt out measures to be adopted by all departments to ensure physical distance.

Attendance of officers and staff, who share common seating place, should not exceed 10 on a working day. Seats must be arranged so that the distance between two desks is no less than two metres. If that can’t be managed due to space constraints, the department can even reduce the overall attendance of employees below the stipulated 70 per cent.

Employees from containment zones need not attend offices until the tag on their area is removed.

Inside the office, face-to-face meetings have been discouraged and instead employees have been urged to use interfaces such as intercom, telephones or videoconferences. All government employees have also been encouraged to disinfect personal equipment such as keyboard, mouse, phone and AC remote on their own and frequently.

In office lifts meant for common use, not more than three persons will be allowed at a time.