Parliament sanitised after latest case of COVID-19

New Delhi, May 30

Government agencies undertook a massive drive on Saturday to sanitise all buildings in the Parliament House Complex after the fourth case of COVID-19 was reported from the complex, officials said.

Of the four cases, three had contracted the infection after the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha Secretariats resumed functioning when the Lockdown 2.0 ended.

A Rajya Sabha Secretariat official had tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, the officials said.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a statement the comprehensive drive included sanitisation of all indoor and outdoor areas, individual offices, restrooms and common areas.

It previously conducted a similar exercise on March 21. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla then said awareness and restraint are key to prevent COVID-19 spread. Thereafter, several such exercises were undertaken.

“In the exercise held on Saturday, the CPWD, the NDMC and other allied agencies, working within the Parliament, used specialised equipment and strong chemical disinfectants such as sodium hydrochloride in order to ensure sanitation in and around Parliament House Complex,” the lower house secretariat said.

According to the orders issued by the secretariat, a certain number of staffers are required to work from home and employees are allowed to enter Parliament only after proper screening.

All vehicles are sanitised before entering the complex. PTI