Madurai City Police has made it mandatory for its staff to get their temperature and oxygen levels checked with the help of thermal scanner and pulse oximeter.
“This is one way of identifying people with common symptoms of COVID-19 and isolating them in order to prevent spreading of the virus,” Madurai Commissioner of Police Prem Anand Sinha said.
Stating that all the police stations had been given thermal scanners, he said now the mandatory usage of the equipment had been insisted.
Similarly, pulse oximeter too had been distributed. “We will ensure that it is also available in all police stations,” he added.
Mr. Sinha said that it was common for police personnel to ignore slight rise in body temperature and come for work. When they were tested while reporting for duty with thermal scanner, the body temperature would be known.
“Fever is one of the symptoms of COVID-19. If anyone has fever, he would be asked to go for medical check-up,” he added.
The pulse oximeter would detect even a slight trouble in breathing.
The Commissioner said this move would safeguard the police personnel from getting infected. Over 160 police personnel in the city had been infected with the virus so far.
Public awareness
The City Police have also engaged autorickshaws fitted with public address system to create awareness on physical distancing and usage of masks.
“It has been four months now that people are aware of the ways to protect themselves from getting infected by COVID-19. But, still some are not using masks while coming out,” Mr. Sinha said.
The PA system will warn people that they would be fined if they violated the lockdown rules.
Police officers had also been asked to strictly enforce mask-wearing rule and impose fine on violators, he added.
