The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued Standard Operating Procedures, SOPs for religious places, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, hospitality services and workplaces. The objective of these SOPs is to minimize all possible physical contacts and maintain social distancing while adhering to preventive and safety measures against COVID-19.

Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued the new guidelines for phased re-opening of areas outside the containment zones after the strict lockdown imposed throughout the country on 24th March. In phase-one of the unlock period, the government has permitted opening of religious places, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and other hospitality services for the public from 8th June.

Our correspondent reports, all the hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, religious places and other hospitality services in the containment zones shall remain closed. Only those outside the containment zones will be allowed to open as per the guidelines issued by the government. All the hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, religious places, workplaces and other hospitality services are advised to have the arrangement of sanitizer dispenser and thermal screening at the entrance.

Only asymptomatic persons shall be allowed in the premises. Spitting will be strictly prohibited. In the restaurants, takeaways are encouraged instead of dine-in and food delivery personnel will leave the packet at customer’s door. The Health Ministry has advised the public to maintain physical distancing of at least six feet and the use of face masks. It has also been advised to use the Aarogya Setu App.

Meanwhile, Union Health Ministry has also issued guidelines for safe Ear, Nose & Throat- ENT practice amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The guidelines are aimed at minimising the spread of Covid-19 infection among ENT doctors, nursing staff, support staff, patients and their attendants.

According to the guidelines, all patients entering the ENT OPD shall be thermal screened to minimize exposure to staff and patients. The Ministry said that patients having symptoms suggestive of Covid 19 whether ENT or Respiratory Symptoms, should be seen in a separate Covid-19 screening Clinic and not in the ENT OPD.

At the entry point of OPD, it has been suggested to regulate entry of patients and to ensure use of mask, hand hygiene and social distancing. It also advised that teleconsultation will be preferable and pior teleconsultation can be done to identify patients requiring physical examination in clinic.

The Ministry said that Covid-19 positive patients are to be operated only for emergency indications in designated operation theatres for Covid patients. It has also suggested avoiding performing endoscopy in routine OPD, adding that even if this has to be performed, it should be done preferably in a separate demarcated area with Level II PPE kit.

The guidelines also said that the Covid suspect patients should be treated in a separate ward for Covid-19 patients. They should be shifted to ENT ward only after confirmation of Covid negative status.