Residents demand vendors supplying essential goods be tested for Covid-19

Gautam Budh Nagar district residents’ welfare association (DDRWA), a residents’ group, had also written to the Uttar Pradesh government and Narendra Bhooshan, the in-charge of district to handle Covid-19 outbreak, demanding these tests

Residents of various housing societies in Noida have demanded that the administration conduct Covid-19 tests on all security guards, sanitation employees, vendors supplying essential goods and others who move in and out of housing societies on an urgent basis.

Officials said there are 33 hot spots where vendors are delivering services at doorstep and in the remaining areas, essential services are being delivered at society gates. (Parveen Kumar/ HT file photo. Representative image)

Earlier, the administration had announced that it will conduct tests of persons supplying essential services and goods to residents, but officials said lack of sufficient Covid-19 testing kits has stalled the process.

Gautam Budh Nagar district residents’ welfare association (DDRWA), a residents’ group, had also written to the Uttar Pradesh government and Narendra Bhooshan, the in-charge of district to handle Covid-19 outbreak, demanding these tests. Residents also put forth their demands during a webinar attended by Bhooshan on Tuesday. In the one-hour long webinar, at least 40 people from Noida and Greater Noida interacted with officials.

“We demanded that the administration conduct the Covid-19 tests on all those who are daily on the ground, either cleaning or collecting garbage or supplying essential goods to each household. These people daily interact with residents and it is necessary to ensure that they are infection-free,” NP Singh, president, DDRWA, said.

There are at least 900 vendors in Noida and 700 in Greater Noida supplying vegetables, fruits, medicines and groceries to households. There are 33 hot spots where vendors are delivering services at doorstep and in the remaining areas, essential services are being delivered at society gates, officials said.

“Apart from vendors, the security guards manning housing societies should also be tested. It is not only important for their safety but also for that of residents who interact with them,” Sanjeev Kumar,Sector 51 RWA general secretary, said.

There are at least 5,000 sanitation employees in Noida and about 1,000 in Greater Noida engaged in collecting garbage, sweeping and cleaning parks and roads.

“The administration must test the sanitation employees because they touch all common areas while cleaning or collecting garbage,” Lokesh Sharma, a resident of Knowledge Park-4, Greater Noida, said.

However, to conduct tests of all such people is not possible for the administration.

“We will follow laid down guidelines on conducting tests as there is a clear protocol on how to go about it. The vendors or the firms that engage such people can get their employees tested at health department facilities and if anyone is symptomatic, then a Covid-19 test can done. We cannot test all of them at one go due to limited number of testing kits available,” Bhooshan, who is also the chief executive officer of the Greater Noida authority, said.