GUWAHATI: The state disaster management authority in Assam issued multiple advisories on Saturday for observance of COVID-appropriate behaviour in hospitality units, factories, banks, insurance offices and other institutions providing essential services.
The advisories are aimed at streamlining and standardising the operating procedures to enable smooth functioning of all services, a statement issued by the statutory body said.
Authorities in all financial institutions have been asked to ensure that COVID-19 protocols are strictly followed at offices, ATMs and any other public interface where people might gather.
Owners of hotels and hospitality units, according to one of the advisories, will have to look after safety of guests, while encouraging them to make payments online, opt for room-service and download the Aarogya Setu app, which helps monitor an individuals health condition.
Similarly, restaurant owners have been told to introduce a proper seating arrangement, provide disposable menu cards, manage queues outside and urge customers to make cashless payments.
As for factories, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has asked owners to generate awareness on COVID-19 protocols among workers, sanitise premises frequently.
All warehouses have been asked to frame considerate workplace policies for its employees, make arrangements for vaccination and tele-medicine services, if necessary, and ensure proper sanitisation of goods and merchandise at various levels of the supply chain.
The ASDMA further stated that district authorities will carry out inspections, under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to find out if its advisories are being adhered to.
The state's COVID-19 caseload rose to 2,56,576 after 3,453 more people tested positive for the virus on Saturday, while 23 fresh fatalities took the death toll to 1,330, the National Health Mission said in a bulletin.
The state currently has 25,027 active cases.
Altogether 2,229 patients recovered from the disease, taking the total number of cured people to 2,28,872.
Of the coronavirus fatalities reported during the day, nine were from Kamrup Metro district and three from Barpeta district, the bulletin said.
The remaining deaths were registered in several other districts.
The bulletin said that altogether 1,347 COVID positive patients have died of other reasons.
The 3,453 new positive cases include 1,417 from Kamrup Metro, 264 from Dibrugarh, and 136 from Tinsukia.
The new cases were detected out of 54,002 tests conducted during the day while the total number of tests held in the state so far is 86,58,937.