The Telangana government on Saturday issued fresh guidelines tightening the restrictions in government workplaces as the coronavirus situation turns grimmer in the state.
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 who would be attending duties on a staggered basis.
While 50 per cent of the office subordinates, data entry operators and other Class-IV employees will attend duty on every alternate week basis, only 50 per cent of clerical staff and their superiors, including assistant section officers and section officers, will come to their respective offices on an alternate day basis.
However, the officers having separate chambers allotted to them will continue to attend duty on a regular basis. “All the employees, right from Class IV employees to section officers, who are not on duty on a particular day, must remain in the headquarters and should be available to return to the office on a short notice,” the circular said.
Any officer or staff having vulnerabilities like pregnancy or comorbidities have been advised to stay at home duly taking appropriate leave including casual leave, earned leave, half-pay leave based on medical certification. They should remain available in the headquarters and attend to any urgent duties in case of emergency.
Further, no visitors will be permitted into the government offices without the authorisation of the official concerned and also on prior appointment. Regular disinfection of the office premises and vehicles, will be taken up.
{{/usCountry}}Further, no visitors will be permitted into the government offices without the authorisation of the official concerned and also on prior appointment. Regular disinfection of the office premises and vehicles, will be taken up.
{{/usCountry}}All infection prevention protocols like 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 the officers have been advised to refrain from using air conditioners and ensure adequate ventilation in their respective rooms, the drivers have been instructed not to gather in the parking and instead, sit in the 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 for Covid-19 in 24 hours ending Friday night, which is the single largest surge in the cases in a day. The overall number of positive cases reported mounted to 6,526, of which 3,352 patients recovered till date.
There were also three fatalities that took the deaths due to coronavirus in the State to 198.
The state capital of Hyderabad continues to pose an alarming situation with 329 cases in a single day on Friday. The neighbouring district of Rangareddy too had an escalation in the positive cases with 129 samples testing positive for Covid-19.
Apart from common people, several bureaucrats and police officers have also contracted the virus. On Friday, as many as three IPS officers in 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 under isolation. The official was not attending duties for the last few days following symptoms and underwent testing which came positive, a GHMC official said.
On Saturday, the gunman of 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 for Corona after the MLA and his wife also tested positive.