Maharashtra’s Intense Plan for Corona Battle which started when a wintery “Pandemic” of December 2019 was not something people showed preparedness towards its first discovery in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 in the wake of havoc became an international concern as a public health emergency. Coronavirus/COVID-19 is contagious and owns the capability to spread from person to person if appropriate measures are not taken. In the midst of the chaotic outbreak, employers stand as an important backer with regard to the suspected and confirmed cases. Suspected cases in itself build in fear in the minds of employers & employees and there is a pressing need to manage the same sensitively and efficiently.
Measures or guidelines included in Maharashtra’s Intense Plan for Corona Battle to prevent and contain the outbreak?
Maharashtra alone has reported 42 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as on 18 March 2020. The numbers are increasing by the hour. In the rouse of the same, the Maharashtrian government has taken certain measures which are as follows:
- With the outbreak exponentially multiplying at a faster pace than actually thought of, the Maharashtra government has invoked the Epidemic Disease Act of 1897 (“Act”) in connect with Section 2, 3 and 4. The Municipal Commissioner is empowered to issue such an order under Rule 10 of the Act. For deterrence and containment of COVID-19, the municipal commissioner has sought panic slowdowns in the form of certain measures. The Municipal Commissioner has stated that all non-essential service providing offices to function at 50% of their staff capacity. Encouragement towards ‘Work from Home’ is sought for by most offices. Failure to comply with the same will attract the provisions of Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code which states non-adherence would mean imprisonment up to 6 months or fine which may extend up to INR 1000/- or with both. Implementation of the same would be thru the Assistant Municipal Commissioners (ward officers) who would visit several companies in the city to check whether the order is being adhered to or not.
- Besides, the Maharashtra Government has announced a 45 Crore fund to tackle the Pandemic and has advised all health authorities and district collectors to take stringent steps towards the same. The government would put a “stamp” on the left hand of the person who is 100% self-quarantined till March 31, so that they can be easily identified.[1]
- The Maharashtrian Government is also offering quarantine at hotels for a price bearing in mind the criticism received over unhygienic conditions at quarantine centres. If suspected people are unable to pay, they will be quarantined in Government buildings. The Maharashtra CM has ordered no religious and social gatherings and also postponed elections of gram panchayats and municipal corporations in the stir of the COVID outbreak. Restrictions will apply in the form as noted subsection 1 of Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code.[2]
- The Maharashtra government has also suspended the breath analyser for testing drunk driving cases in the stir of COVID-19. Should there be an improvement in the situation, testing would be resumed but not until then; considering the virus spreads through person-to-person contacts.
The
Maharashtra Government, with the highest number of confirmed cases in the
state, is taking all the precautionary steps to contain the spread of COVID-19.
From stamping the home quarantined people to imposing a ban on all social
gatherings, the state government is leaving no stones unturned while battling
the outbreak of this pandemic. Indian government along with its medical force
is making continuous efforts[3] to
further strengthen its preparedness and is chalking out mechanisms to fight the
Covid-19 menace.
- [1] https://www.avantis.co.in/updates/article/8232/maharashtra-public-health-department-publishes-the-maharashtra-covid-1/ [ Download the March 14, 2020 notification from the bottom of the article]
- [2] https://indiankanoon.org/doc/930621/, Sub Section 1of Section 144.
- [3] https://main.sci.gov.in/pdf/cir/covid19_14032020.pdf
