With the Covid-19 situation in Telangana turning from bad to worse, affecting state government employees, politicians and even bureaucrats, the state government on Saturday issued fresh guidelines, tightening restrictions in workplaces.
According to a circular issued by chief secretary Somesh Kumar, the state secretariat and all the other state-level government offices will function with reduced manpower, comprising those who would attend to their duties on a staggered basis.
While 50% of office subordinates, data entry operators and other Class-IV employees will come to work every alternate week, only 50% of the clerical staff and their superiors, including assistant section officers and section officers, will come to their respective offices on alternate days.
However, officers with separate chambers will continue to work regularly. “All the employees, right from Class IV employees to section officers, who are not on duty on a particular day, must remain at the headquarters and should be available to return to the office on a short notice,” the circular said.
Officers and staff members with vulnerabilities, such as pregnancy, or comorbidities have been advised to stay at home. They have to duly take the appropriate leave, including casual leave, earned leave or half-day leave, based on medical certification. They should remain available at the headquarters and attend to any urgent duties in case of an emergency.
{{/usCountry}}Officers and staff members with vulnerabilities, such as pregnancy, or comorbidities have been advised to stay at home. They have to duly take the appropriate leave, including casual leave, earned leave or half-day leave, based on medical certification. They should remain available at the headquarters and attend to any urgent duties in case of an emergency.
{{/usCountry}}Further, no visitor will be permitted into the government offices without the authorisation of the official concerned or appointment. The office premises and vehicles will be regularly disinfected.
All infection prevention protocols, including regular hand washing, sanitisation, wearing masks and other guidelines, should be strictly followed. Not more than three persons in addition to the lift operator should be allowed in the lift.
While all officers have been advised to refrain from using air conditioners and ensuring adequate ventilation in their respective rooms, drivers have been instructed not to gather in the parking and instead, sit in their respective offices.
“The orders which will come into effect commencing from Monday, will remain in force up to July 4,” the circular said.
Telangana reported 499 positive cases in 24 hours (ending Friday night), which is the single largest surge in cases in a day. The overall number of positive cases reportedly mounted to 6,526, of which 3,352 patients have recovered till date.
There were also three fatalities, taking the death toll in the state to 198.
The state capital of Hyderabad continues to witness an alarming rise in cases, with 329 positive cases in a single day on Friday. The neighbouring district of Rangareddy too saw an escalation in the number of cases with 129 samples testing positive for Covid-19.
On Friday, as many as three IPS officers in the Hyderabad Police Commissionerate tested positive for Covid-19. Besides, 18 police personnel in the special branch wing of the state police also tested positive.
An IAS officer from GHMC tested positive and is in isolation, a GHMC official said.
On Saturday, a security personnel attached to the Bharatiya Janata Party MLA T Raja Singh tested positive, forcing the lawmaker to go into self-quarantine. Similarly, the driver of TRS MLA Bajireddy Goverdhan also turned out to be positive, after the MLA and his wife also tested positive and got admitted to a private hospital.