Ghaziabad to implement token system for entry at public places

Ghaziabad: Aimed at controlling Covid-19 spread, the Ghaziabad administration has chalked out a plan to regulate gathering at malls, multiplexes, restaurants and other commercial establishments, and has directed for initiating a token system

Ghaziabad: Aimed at controlling Covid-19 spread, the Ghaziabad administration has chalked out a plan to regulate gathering at malls, multiplexes, restaurants and other commercial establishments, and has directed for initiating a token system. The district officials said that the system will be put in place within a week.

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Considering the emergence of new cases, the district administration on Sunday directed the officers to hold meetings with the groups of different stakeholders and implement the token system.

“The token system will help regulate overcrowding in places like malls, restaurants, multiplexes and others. The owners at their respective establishments will also have to create a waiting area and allow a group of people inside only when the same number of people makes an exit. The tokens will also have estimated time of visit. The system will be implemented this week once we conduct meetings,” said Ajay Shankar Pandey, district magistrate.

Ghaziabad has been witnessing a rise in Covid-19 cases in the past few days. According to the state control room figures, the district reported 19, 73, 55 and 63 new cases in the first four days of April, respectively.

“We have also directed that all such places must ensure adherence to Covid protocols. Outside the establishment, we have also directed for putting up a display system about number of people inside and estimated time in which those waiting outside will be able to move inside. In the waiting area, there will be strict adherence to social distancing and other protocols,” Pandey added.

Likewise, the Gautam Budh Nagar district officials have also decided to act tough against such public places if they do not adhere to Covid protocols. “Our teams are visiting different sites and checking if there is adherence to Covid protocols. If we find that there is violation, strict action will be taken up against such establishments,” said Suhas LY, district magistrate of GB Nagar.

No further registrations for healthcare, frontline workers

The officials said that they have stepped up surveillance, testing and contact tracing activities while they have also stepped up vaccination coverage.

In Ghaziabad, it is being taken up by the 93 Covid vaccination centres (CVCs), including 57 of government facilities, while in GB Nagar it is taken up with the help of 90 CVCs, including 51 government centres.

The officials said that they have received directions that there will be no fresh registrations of healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs) on the Co-Win portal with immediate effect and they have stopped any further registrations.

“The directions were issued by the Union ministry of health and it is done as many ineligible beneficiaries were getting registered at some Covid vaccination centres and getting vaccinated. The directions were issued by the ministry to different states, including Uttar Pradesh,” said an officer from the Ghaziabad health department.

The directions issued by the ministry on April 3 said, “Various inputs were received from different sources that in some CVCs, some ineligible beneficiaries are being registered as HCWs and FLWs and getting vaccinated in complete violation of the prescribed guidelines. There has been 24% increase in HCW database in past few days... it has been decided that no fresh registrations in categories of HCWs and FLWs will be allowed with immediate effect.”