Mon tightens up Covid-19 precautionary measures

Dimapur, March 15 (EMN): People who have conditions such as dry cough, fever, or difficulty in breathing are asked to contact the health authorities. Likewise, the public are advised to avoid mass gatherings, or take prior permission from the authorities for gatherings such as weddings.

The people are also directed to take measures such as sanitising frequently touched surfaces such as door knobs, switches, desktops, hand railings, benches, tables, chairs, and blackboards.  

These precautions are some of an elaborate list of measures that the Mon district administration has directed the district’s citizens to observe strictly.

The department of Information and Public Relations (IPR) of the district gave updates on Saturday stating a number of cautionary directives from the deputy commissioner’s office.  

According to the IPR, the district’s Deputy Commissioner Thavaseelan K stated in an office memorandum issued on March 13, pursuance of the directives that were received from the ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The administration has asked the people to “reduce all mass gathering” to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the IPR stated.

Any gathering of more than 100 persons ‘except for church gathering or family rituals such as marriages’ shall be held only with the prior approval of the district task force for Covid-19, the updates stated.

School and hostels

The deputy commissioner also issued an advisory for schools and hostels on March 13 stating that the WHO having declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic, the authorities are issuing a number of precautions to take.

• School authorities are advised to avoid any large gatherings within the school.
• Details of any student or staff member with a travel history to any country affected by the Covid-19, or those who may have come in contact with such persons in the past 28 days should be immediately reported to the district task force for Covid-19 of Mon.
• Class teachers are to monitor any child with signs and symptoms such as fever, cough and difficulty in breathing, and should immediately inform parents to have the child tested.
• Ask parents not to send the child back to school until otherwise advised by the treating doctor.
• Teachers, school staff and students must practice hand and respiratory hygiene.
  Hand hygiene: Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers, even when hands are visibly clean.
  Respiratory hygiene: Everyone should cover their mouth with a tissue or handkerchief, or their sleeves if there are no tissues available when they cough or sneeze, and should wash their hands afterwards.