Masks, gloves and Aarogya Setu app in Delhi govt SOP for offices

The Delhi government SOP, which is in line with the Centre’s, makes screening of all employees mandatory and only asymptomatic individuals to be given access to the office premises

The Delhi government on Thursday directed offices to ensure that all employees wear face masks and gloves and they install and use the Aarogya Setu application as part of the standard operating procedure (SOP) for preventing the spread of Covid-19 in offices that are functional in the city. The SOP applies to both private and government offices.

Air India ground staff in face shields, masks and gloves at T3 Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi on May 23, 2020. (Sanjeev Verma/HT File Photo)

On May 18, the Delhi government had issued an order allowing private and government offices in the city to function with the physical presence of full working strength but directed them to follow a set of rules concerning social distancing and other measures related to safety and hygiene. It also asked the organisations to allow working from home, if possible.

The SOP issued by the Delhi government conforms entirely to the guidelines issued by the union health ministry on June 4, shows the document which HT has seen.

The guidelines direct offices to ensure employees above the age of 65, pregnant or those with co-morbidities are not required to mark physical presence, arrangements are made to enable frequent hand washing, premises are sanitised periodically and supervisory officials are appointed to record regular health check of each employee.

The Delhi government order makes screening of all employees mandatory and only asymptomatic individuals to be given access to the office premises, meeting to be done through video conference facility as much as possible, ensure adequate gap (at least 6 feet) in the seating arrangement, restricting the number of people in elevators, management of crowd in parking lots and canteens and maintaining the centralised air conditioning between 24-30 degree Celsius and relative humidity between 40%-70%. The offices should ensure a system for proper disposal of the gloves and face masks.

The order said, for up to two cases recorded, the particular areas frequented by the concerned individuals will be sanitised. In case of an outbreak (three or higher cases), the entire building has to be closed for at least 48 hours and sanitised. For each suspected case, the document said, it is the role of the supervisory officer to inform the district surveillance teams of the government or call the 1075 helpline and initiate an assessment of “exposure history” to help medical officials trace contacts and seal the appropriate portions of the building premises.