A day after the central government announced phased unlocking of the country from June 1, the Maharashtra government announced fresh guidelines for all government employees working in the country. As per the new guidelines, all employees and visitors will be screened through a thermal scanner before entering office. The state government will keep a check on the strict implementation of screening. "All employees have to wear 3 ply mask or surgical mask while working in the office," says the order.
Employees have also been advised not to touch their face to avoid infection. "Lifts, tables, chairs, etc, will be sanitised thrice a day with sodium hypochlorite. All other office equipment like printer, scanner, computer, etc, will be sanitised with an alcohol-based sanitiser.
The guidelines suggest windows in the office to be kept open throughout the day ventilation. The companies will ensure seating arrangements of employees is done in such a manner that they maintain 3 feet distance from each other while working.
As per the Centre's guidelines, the unlocking will also be done in three parts. The guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday comprised guidelines for phase 1 of resumption of economic activities across states. These guidelines will come into effect from June 1, 2020, and will be effective till June 30, 2020. The current phase of reopening will have an economic focus.
All activities prohibited earlier will be opened up in areas outside the containment zones in a phased manner, with the stipulation of following Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as prescribed by the health ministry.
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In phase-I, religious places and places of worship for the public; hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services; and shopping malls will be permitted to open from June 8. The Centre will issue SOPs for these activities for ensuring social distancing and to contain the spread of COVID-19.