The Haryana Government today ordered that all government and private schools, colleges, coaching institutions, ITIs, libraries and training institutes will remain closed in the state till April 30.
The state government issued several guidelines for containment of the Covid epidemic in the state to be implemented with immediate effect. Sanjeev Kaushal, Additional Chief Secretary, Disaster Management Department, said that an advance sum of Rs 10 lakh has been released for every DC in the state for enabling him/her to take urgent measures for Covid management.
The district administration would ensure the establishment of an adequate number of Covid care centres and quarantine centres for those patients who do not need hospitalisation but are not capable of maintaining home isolation. Also, it would provide a sufficient number of oximeters for use of patients during home isolation, he said.
The new SOPs issued today say that Covid-appropriate behaviour like social distancing; wearing of face covers/masks, hand hygiene need to be observed by all (drivers and passengers) at all times for all passenger vehicles. While taxi and cab aggregators will be allowed to ply with a maximum of three passengers, auto or e-rickshaws have been allowed to ply with two passengers. For inter-state or intra-state travel, buses will ply at 50 per cent capacity with seats where passengers should not sit being marked clearly.
Hotels, restaurants and other hospitality units/services will be opened in areas outside the containment zones only with the strict observance of appropriate Covid behaviour.
Shopping malls are allowed to operate but only outside containment zones with adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour.
Covid-appropriate behaviour will be observed in all markets including vegetable markets with the district administration also arranging Covid-testing centres at these places. Bank ATMs will be sanitised every two hours.
COURTESY – THE TRIBUNE
