Maharashtra: Statewide campaign to stop spread of Covid-19 will be launched on September 15

As part of the campaign, volunteers will go door to door to check residents for fever and low oxygen levels as well as look for those with Covid-19 symptoms

Maharashtra has launched a statewide campaign ‘My Family, My Responsibility’ aimed at controlling the spread of Covid-19 as more lockdown restrictions are eased. There are specific advisories under this campaign that are to be followed by housing societies and colonies, shopping malls and markets, and measures to be taken at workplaces and while travelling in public transport. The campaign, to be conducted in two phases, will be kickstarted from September 15.

A swab test will be recommended to those with Covid-19 symptoms. The state will survey 2.25 crore families twice a month during the survey.(Representational Photo/HT)

Municipal commissioner IS Chahal said, “The main objective of this campaign is to achieve effective health care education for the control of Covid-19. In order to effectively curtail the spread of the disease, it is imperative that all members of a family take necessary care and are vigilant to avoid inadvertent mistakes.”

Public representatives and NGO volunteers will be roped in for this campaign. As part of the campaign, volunteers will go door to door to check residents for fever and low oxygen levels as well as look for those with Covid-19 symptoms. People with ailments such as diabetes, heart and kidney disease as well as obesity will be referred for treatment. A team comprising a health worker and two others will survey and inspect every person and also suggest available services for the diseases. The state will make one doctor available to five teams. A swab test will be recommended to those with Covid-19 symptoms. The state will survey 2.25 crore families twice a month during the survey.

Apart from the basic precautions of maintaining distance, using masks, sanitising or washing hands compulsorily, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also laid down several other rules for corporate offices, housing societies and shopping centres. For instance, shop owners have been told to ensure arrangements to check body temperature, keep sanitiser and allow a limited number of customers at a time. They have also been told to ensure minimum staff and adopt online methods of transaction.

Housing societies will have to ensure that temperature checking, oxygen testing and hand-washing facilities are available for helpers ,drivers, waste collectors and cleaners. They will also have to display the emergency contact numbers of municipal health centres and hospitals within their society premises.

For private offices, working hours of employees will be staggered, employees are to be called to work on alternate days and must work from home as much as possible, digital methods are to be adopted to avoid human contact, video conferencing systems must be used for meetings and the health of all employees must be prioritised.

Similarly, a face shield and mask is recommended for those travelling via public and private transport. The campaign also states that people should avoid travelling in crowded vehicles, should not touch doors and handles of vehicles and use private vehicles for commuting as much as possible.