Coronavirus: Himachal cuts attendance to 50 per cent for Class III, IV staff, industry

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 21

Stepping up its fight against coronavirus, the Himachal Government on Saturday ordered 50 per cent attendance of Class III and IV employees in government offices, and of all workers in industrial establishments in the state on a given day.

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RD Dhiman, Additional Chief Secretary (Health), announced the staggering of duties on alternate days, and also the timing of arrival and leaving office to prevent overcrowding. He, however, said the employees who are not in office will have to remain in station and available for any information.

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He also said that the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Corporation (HPTDC) will close down all its hotels units, barring a few. “Though many hotel associations have on their own already decided to close their units, the issue of closure of all hotels and restaurants is under the active consideration of the government,” he said.

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He also announced that since there had been no let-up in the huge turnout at OPDs in referral hospitals, it has been decided to close OPDs at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla; Tanda Medical College, Kangra; and Ner Chowk Medical College at Mandi so that they could make arrangements for confirmed cornonavirus cases as part of preparedness.

Dhiman said that the contact list of the two positive cases in the state had been mapped. “About 50 such persons with whom they came in contact have been put under home quarantine and their conditions is being monitored,” he said.

He said out of a total 26 tests that were sent to Delhi, 24 had tested negative, and only two cases of Kangra positive. Also out of a total of 1,030 persons who had been kept under surveillance, 387 had completed the mandatory 28 days’ self-isolation period, 115 had left the state, and 575 were still under surveillance. He added that most of them were those with a travel history from high-risk countries.