The Union health ministry has issued new ‘SOPs to contain spread of Covid-19 in offices’ and according to these, if one or two cases are reported, the disinfection procedure will be limited to the areas occupied and visited by the patient in the last 48 hours.

Work can resume after disinfection has been completed as per laid down protocols, the standard operating procedures (SOPs), stated.

If a larger number of cases are reported at workplace, the whole block or building should be disinfected before work is resumed, the ministry said.

Officers and staff residing in containment zones should inform the same to their supervisory officer and not attend office till the containment zone is denotified. Such staff should be permitted to work from home, the new SOPs stated.

Offices in containment zones shall remain closed except for medical and essential services and only those outside will be allowed to open up, the document said.

The SOPs stated that only asymptomatic staff or visitors shall be allowed entry, individuals must maintain a minimum distance of six feet in common places as far as feasible, and use face covers or masks at all times.

Meetings, as far as possible, should be done through video conferencing and large physical gatherings continue to remain prohibited, the SOPs stated.

Meanwhile, India’s tally of Covid-19 cases surpassed 1.09 crore with12,194 new infections, while fresh fatalities were recorded below100 for the eighth time this month, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

India’s total Covid-19 active caseload currently stands at 1,36,571 comprising just 1.25 per cent of the total infections. A total 12,143 daily new cases were registered in a span of 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry. A total of 1,06,00,625 people have recovered so far with 11,395 patients getting discharged in a day.

No fresh death from Covid- 19 was recorded on Saturday in Delhi, the second time in February when the single-day fatality count was zero, according to data shared by the city health department. On February 9, no fatality from the coronavirus was registered in the national capital, after a gap of nearly nine months.

West Bengal registered 190 fresh Covid-19 cases and two deaths due to infection.

The state’s total Covid case count is 5,72,595 while the death toll is 10,232. There are 4,086 active cases. Kolkata recorded 56 cases and 1 death while North 24-Parganas recorded 65 cases and 1 death.

~With inputs from PTI~