AMC makes appointment of COVID coordinator mandatory in offices

AHMEDABAD: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has issued guidelines for companies employing more than 30 people. It has been made mandatory for these companies to appoint a COVID coordinator who will be responsible for managing and documenting COVID positive employees and their information.

If an employee tests positive, the COVID coordinator will have to provide a list of persons who had come in contact with that person. Strict penalties will be imposed on the coordinator in case of violation or deviation from these duties and may even lead to strict punishments under Sections 188 and 270 of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 3 of Epidemic Diseases Act. The decision for making the appointment of a COVID coordinator mandatory for companies/offices in Ahmedabad was taken during a meeting chaired by Rajiv Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (Forests and Environment), who has been deputed to handle the COVID crisis in the city, along with Mukesh Kumar, Commissioner, AMC.

According to civic officials, social distancing norms in malls and corporate offices may not be a difficult task. However, similar would not be the case for informal markets and processing units of Ahmedabad, mainly in the northern, southern and eastern parts of the city. Talking about the COVID situation in the city, Gupta said that a combination of COVID management measures in Ahmedabad over the last three months has resulted in some improvement in the COVID situation in the country. “However, during Unlock 3.0, some incidences of violation of social distancing guidelines has been noticed in the city, inviting stricter penal actions. For further prevention of the virus spread, it is important to ensure that social distancing guidelines are effectively followed in all offices, institutions and business establishments,” Gupta added.

In order to ensure immediate compliance with the guidelines, Gupta said that all such establishments have been asked to send details of the designated COVID coordinator to the respective zonal office of the AMC. At establishments with less than 30 employees, the owner/manager shall be responsible.

AMC officials said that the decision was taken after AMC teams found staff sitting in offices without masks and sitting at less-than-suggested distances.