Paying guest accommodations, which are usually teeming with residents, will have to change the way they operate. The State government, on Saturday, issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) such as avoiding common bathrooms, no sharing of food and water, and maintaining two-metre distance between beds.
All PG staff and residents have been told to download the Arogya Setu app and Apthamitra mobile app, and they will be screened every time they enter the premises. Those with high temperature, cold, cough, and breathing difficulties should be referred to the nearest fever clinic or hospital or call the Apthamitra helpline.
The circular issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare states that they have to maintain a distance of more than one metre within the building. “Laundry clothes of inmates should be washed separately. There should be no common washing/use of washing machines,” read the circular.
PG residents pointed out that many rules and social distancing was not possible in their accommodations. “The PG area is very small and 12 of us stay in a four-bedroom apartment, which has been converted into a PG. The beds are placed close to each other and we have common areas for everything – eating, washing, and bath. We are dependent on common toilets. We can only do what is feasible and cannot practice all the rules,” said Shruthi S., software employee who lives in a PG accommodation at BTM Layout.
Visitors should be avoided, and entry and exit of all employees should be recorded in a register and CCTVs installed. The circular also states that if any employee or resident hails from a notified containment zone, they shall not be allowed into the accommodation till the containment zone is denotified.
