Noida begins drive to test salon visitors, public vehicle drivers, shopkeepers

NOIDA: The Gautam Budh Nagar district administration has begun a special drive to test people visiting beauty parlours or salons, besides auto drivers, rickshaw-pullers

NOIDA: The Gautam Budh Nagar district administration has begun a special drive to test people visiting beauty parlours or salons, besides auto drivers, rickshaw-pullers and small shopkeepers at different localities – mainly in and around the containment zones. Health officials have been stationed outside parlours and salons in many areas and to take the samples of visitors visiting them.

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With the festive season round the corner, lapses in self-regulation or partaking in large congregations might prove costly, said officials.

According to data provided by the district health department, while samples of 1,371 auto-drivers and rickshaw-pullers have been collected so far, samples of as many 1,269 persons at different beauty parlours and saloons have also been collected.

While one woman tested positive for Covid-19 at a beauty parlour in Dadri, while none of the public transport drivers have been tested positive via rapid antigen tests so far, said officials.

The 15-day drive began on Friday. So far, 4,227 rapid antigen kit tests and 2,853 RT-PCR tests have been done under this drive.

GB Nagar district magistrate Suhas LY said that festivities without social distancing could cause sudden surge in the number of positive cases. “Being an industrial hub, the district already has a floating population. Going by doctors, the season nowadays has maximum viral load, which is always a good carrier for many virus-borne diseases. What is more alarming that people forget social distancing norms while enjoying the festive season,” he said.

The DM, however, expressed his concern over the sudden surge in positive cases this week. On Saturday, the district recorded 205 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the district’s tally to 17,839. The number of active cases reached 1,225, up from 1,133 on Friday.

Many people supported the administration’s decision to test visitors to beauty parlours. Jahnavi Nayak, an entrepreneur who lives in Greater Noida Extension, said exercising caution is important. “I appeal all ladies to take all safety measures while visiting parlours,” she said.

However, shopkeepers in Noida believe that people are already taking precautions before coming out to markets. Sushil Kumar Jain, the president of Sector 18 market association, said the buzz usually seen preceding the festivals is absent this year. “On the one hand, there’s a cash crunch in the market, and on the other, people are scared due to the pandemic. Besides being particular about following Covid-19 protocols, we don’t have any option left other than to interact with the public to sell our wares,” he said.

CB Jha, the president of the Atta Market Association, however, said that maintaining social distancing and other safety protocols have been partially side-lined by customers. “They are mostly from the lower economic strata. When we request our customers to carry masks and sanitisers, they say they would rather buy goods or than spend money on these safety items. However, we are voluntarily giving them masks and sanitisers,” he said.

Meanwhile, district chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Deepak Ohri also agreed that any lapse in maintaining social distancing might prove to be costly. “Number of positive cases has started surging again. Though our recovery and case fatality rates are very good, venturing out for large gatherings and public places might be dangerous,” he said.