KOCHI: While the state has done well in containing the spread of Covid-19, a large part of the population remains unexposed to the virus and hence is yet to develop the immunity. In this context, social distancing, along with other personal hygiene etiquettes, are slated to become part of the ‘new normal’ for a long time or until a vaccine against the virus is developed.
“As more public spaces start functioning, sanitation has to be ensured by the owners, especially in frequent contact points. It would be ideal if people would take a bath before entering their houses after visiting public areas. While many are cautious of packages brought in from outside, the chances of these containing virus are minimal but even then sanitising them does no harm,” said a senior official of the district health administration. The SMS (Soap, Mask, Social Distancing) campaign covers the major precautions to be followed, the official said.
Private vehicle operators
As public modes of transport remain suspended, private bus owners are feeling the heat of the situation, while being wary of the social distancing norms. “There has been no revenue generation for almost two months now. It remains economically non-viable for buses to run on half capacity. For us to resume operations in such situation, the government must permit increase in ticket rates as well as subsidy in diesel prices till things go back to normal,” said K S Rajan, state secretary, Private Bus Operators Organisation.
While taxis have resumed services, the recommendations of fibreglass partitions and sanitisation of car seats after each trip remain unfeasible for many operators. “It is impossible to clean the upholstery of car seat after each trip. But most operators are providing hand sanitisers to passengers,” said Abhilash N P, a taxi operator in the city.
Eat with care
As social distancing becomes mandatory in public spaces, restaurants are set to see major changes on re-opening for dine-in facilities. “A major step would be to reduce the number of seats in the restaurants by half. Since air conditioning is discouraged in the scenario, care will be taken to provide more fans. Patrons will be encouraged to make use of wash stations outside the restaurant before entering,” said Yusuf Shameel of Paalaram chain of restaurants.
Businesses and IT
In the face of an extensive lockdown, many companies have taken to remote working model, a concept once reserved for IT companies. The remote working culture, which was in its infant stage until recently, is now making inroads into Kerala work culture. “Operations that once mandated face-to-face interactions are now being carried out through digital platforms. From interviews for executive positions to orientation of freshly-inducted recruits, many tasks are being carried out through video-conferencing,” said Tojo Jose, HR and IR convener of CII. “With people confined at homes, many services providers are digitising the front-end (apps, websites) and back–end (delivery services, HR operations) operation for ease of their customers and employees,” Tojo added.
“As government permits the return to work, occupiers will require tailor-made plans. This may include factors like availability of widespread testing, accessibility to key cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment, the ability to support social distancing. Once the situation is contained and the lockdown lifted, companies will re-invent themselves and adopt technology at a much faster pace to become resilient,” Anshuman Magazine, chairman and CEO of CBRE, India.