Himachal govt staff to work from office on weekdays, work from home on Saturday to break COVID-19 chain
Nov 28, 2020
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh ) [India], November 28 : Government servants in Himachal Pradesh will attend offices on all working days except Saturdays with effect from December 1 and will work from home on Saturdays as part of measures to contain spread of COVID-19.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said that the state government has decided to enforce five-day work from office and sixth-day work from home for government staff to break COVID-19 chain.
A CMO release said the decision was taken after a COVID-19 review meeting through video conferencing with deputy commissioners, superintendents of police, chief medical officers, principals and medical superintendents of various government medical colleges of the state on Saturday.
The state government also issued an order to implement the decision.
"All government servants including those working on contractual, daily wages, part-time and outsourcing basis will attend offices on all working days except on Saturdays with effect from December 1 and employees to work from home on Saturdays," the order said.
It will remain in force till December 31, 2020.
Thakur expressed concern over the number of new COVID-19 cases and daily deaths in the state and said that state government would also consider imposing curfew from 9 pm to 6 am in four districts - Shimla, Mandi, Kullu and Kangra.
According to an official release, the Chief Minister said that the casual approach of the people particularly in social gatherings such as marriages has resulted in sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 patients and the state government has now decided to restrict the number of persons on all the social gatherings to 50.
He said that all political functions would be held virtually.
Thakur announced that the state government has also decided to increase the bed capacity in all district, zonal and civil hospitals.
He said that the Centre has sanctioned seven oxygen plants for the state and asked the Deputy Commissioners to identify the land for the purpose so that they could be set up at the earliest.
He asked Deputy Commissioners to rope in private hospitals and laboratories for testing and treatment of Covid patients.
Chief Minister said that proper protocol must be adopted for the treatment of the asymptotic patients under home isolation.
He said that senior doctors must ensure at least three rounds of the wards of covid-19 patient to instill confidence in the patients.
According to Union Health Ministry, Himachal Pradesh has 8,205 active COVID-19 cases.
