Covid-19: Centre to resume full office attendance ‘without any exemption’ from Feb 7

The Union ministry of personnel, public grievances & pensions said that Union minister Jitendra Singh held a review meeting on Sunday following which the decision to resume 100% attendance for its employees was taken.

Amid the declining number of daily Covid-19 infections in the country, the Centre on Sunday announced that its employees at all levels should attend office physically without any exemption.

Union minister Jitendra Singh (in picture) spoke with employees who were working from home via video conference and also with those who tested Covid positive and had sought their inputs and views.(PTI)

The Union ministry of personnel, public grievances & pensions said that Union minister Jitendra Singh held a review meeting on Sunday following which the decision to resume 100% attendance for its employees was taken.

“Dr Jitendra Singh announced this evening that a review of the pandemic situation was done today and in view of the decline in the number of COVID cases as well as decline in positivity rate, it has been decided that full office attendance shall be resumed from tomorrow and employees at all levels, without any exemption, shall attend office on regular basis with effect from February 7, 2022.,” the ministry said in a statement.

Further, the ministry also said that the heads of the departments should ensure that their employees must follow Covid appropriate behaviour such as wearing a facemask at all times.

“This is in supersession of the earlier Circular according to which the 50% office attendance rule had been extended till 15th of February,” the ministry said in its statement.

“But, after obtaining inputs from the relevant quarters and review of the situation, a fresh OM (Office Memorandum) is issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) informing that all the employees at all levels, without any exemption, will report to office from tomorrow, that is, 7th of February 2022. There will no more be "work from home" option for any employee,” it added.

Singh had also spoke with employees who were working from home via video conference and also with those who tested Covid positive and had sought their inputs and views, the ministry said.

Nearly a month ago, on January 3, the Centre had restricted the attendance of all its employees, below the level of under-secretary, at all its departments to 50%. It was later extended till February 15.