Operational Guidelines on Social Distancing for Odisha COVID 19 Response, 2020

Background

Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), is caused by Novel Corona Virus, which is a new virus fisrt detected in Wuhan city of Hubei province of China in December 2019. By 16 March this disease has affected 167 countries/ territories including India. World Health Organization (WHO) has declared COVID-19 as Pandemic. Under India Epidemic Disease Act 1897, Government of Odisha has issued Odisha COVID-19 Regulation 2020. Honourable Chief Minister has issued appeal to the people of Odisha for "Extra ordinary response during such extra ordinary situation of COVID-19". Government of Odisha is committed for the effective and proactive measures of Corona Virus and will let no stone unturned for the containment of the disease and protect lives of people of Odisha.

Various measures are taken for COVID-19 containment, like ongoing Surveillance, Contact tracing, Public Awareness, IEC activities and Social distancing measures. It has been observed that "Social distancing" is one of the effective intervention. State has formed special committee to oversee "Social Distancing" under the chairmanship of Agriculture Production Commissioner —cum- Addl. Chief Secretary, Shri Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, IAS. The committee is having various experts like Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Director Public Health, Shri Ashish Patil, IAS (under probation), Dr Nihar Ranjan Ray, Team Leader-WHO, Ms Lopa Tripathy, Communication Specialist-UNICEF and Dr P K Padhi, AD-SIHFW. The committee has drafted this document for effective and uniform implementation of "Social Distancing" measures across the State.

Working Case Definition of COVID-19 case

• A patient with fever and cough or with breathing difficulties with travel history to/ from the country/area or territory reporting local transmission of COVID-19 disease.
• A suspect case for whom testing for COVID-19 is nconclusive.
• Confirmed case person with laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 infection, irrespective of clinical signs and symptoms

General Measures for containment to be practised by everyone

• HANDs: don’t shake, don’t touch surfaces/ wash frequently with soap and water
• LEGs: Keep at least 3 feet away from others
• FACE: Don't touch it
• COUGH/ SNEEZE: FEVER with COUGH with travel history: Report it to local authority/ 104 health help
• FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION: Contact 24x7 health helpline 104
• Preferably advised to stay at home/ avoid unnecessary outside visits

Social Distancing Measures in General

• Closure of educational establishments (schools, colleges, universities), gym, museum, cultural and social centres, swimming pools and theatres etc.
• Possibility of postponing the exams. This would be conducted only if an inter-personal distance of more than one meter should be maintained.
• Encourage private sectors/ organizations to allow employees to work from home.
• Restaurants to ensure hand washing protocol and proper cleanliness of frequently touched surfaces. An inter-personal distance of more than one meter should be maintained
• Keep already planned weddings to limited gatherings (<50), postpone all non-essential socio-cultural gatherings. In no condition gathering of >50 persons should be allowed.
• Local authorities to engage in dialogue with the management of religious establishments to regulate religious gatherings in Temples, Mosques, Churches, Gurudwara etc.
• All non-essential travels should be avoided. Buses, Trains and Aeroplanes should ensure an inter-passenger distance of more than one meter
• Hospital to follow the necessary protocols related to COVID-19 management as prescribed and restrict the visit of children/ friends/ family members visiting the patient in hospitals
• Special protective measures for delivering persons from courier company during online delivery should be maintained
• In commercial transactions the distance should be maintained more than one meter
• Local authorities should engage dialogue with the Bazar Committee/ Byapari like display of poster and mikings etc. for local vendors/ small scale business persons. They should limit the hour or working.
• Lifts and railings in high rise buildings should be regularly mopped. This need to be ensured through the society of the apartments/ similar committees.

Social Distancing Measures by Individual Establishments/Institutions

• Workplace Advisory: Employers should start doing these things now, even if COVID-19 has not arrived in the communities
• Display posters promoting hand-washing — ask your local public health authority for these or look on www.nrhmorissa.gov.in
• Display posters promoting respiratory hygiene/ cough etiquettes. Combine this with other communication measures such as offering guidance from occupational health and safety officers, briefing at meetings and information on the intranet etc.
• Combine this with other communication measures such as offering guidance from occupational health and safety officers, briefings at meetings and information on the intranet to promote hand-washing
• Ensure that staff, contractors and customers have access to places where they can wash their hands with soap and water
• Advise employees to stay at home if they developed any flu like symptoms
• Relocation of staff sitting arrangements to ensure more than one meter inter-
• personal distance
• Advise employees and contractors to consult national travel advice before going on business trips.
• Brief your employees, contractors and customers that if COVID-19 starts spreading in your community anyone with even a mild cough or low-grade fever (37.3 C or more) needs to stay at home. They should also stay home (or work from home) if they have had to take simple

Social Distancing by Government and Private Health Facility: All health facilities, private clinics and individual practitioners of all systems of medicines the district must follow below advisories

• Display of advisories for public in the premises of health facility
• Conduct training and orientation of health staffs and other on COVID-19
• Should establish a COVID-19 Corner which should be near the registration counter/triage station and away from the main OPD/IPD complex. This would help for resolution of their queries.
• Have a triage station at the healthcare facility entrance, prior to waiting area to screen patients and register, if travelled from abroad in last 14 days OR any of the signs and symptoms
• Ensure having hand wash facility with soap and running water/ alcohol based (>70% alcohol) hand rub for the use of healthcare workers, patients and visitors
• Isolate a suspected case promptly and inform to Control Room (104), rather than just
• sending to a government facility
• Staff should use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while screening patients at the triage center
• Provide medical mask to all patients presenting flu-like symptoms
• Perform regular environment cleaning and disinfection with 1% hypo-chlorite
• solution for mopping the floors and 0.5% for cleaning the furniture surfaces
• Maintain good ventilation within OPDs/ lPDs and Emergency care wards
• Hospital to follow the necessary protocols related to COVID-19 management as prescribed and restrict the visit of children/ friends/ family members visiting the patient in hospitals
• Communicate the local health authorities/ state health helpline number 104

Social distancing for Banks, Post office and Commercial Establishments

• Put up COVID-19 awareness posters and banners in bank branches and ATMs 
• Keep sufficient hand sanitizer/handwash soaps in the toilets.
• Advise the staff members to clean hands using hand sanitizer/hand wash soaps at regular intervals.
• Keep hand sanitizer in the ATMs and advise customers to use it after operating ATM. 
• Avoid crowding in the branches. Open more counters. Allow customers inside the branch in batches.
• Allow customers inside ATMs one by one only. Mopping and cleaning of ATM machines and premises should be done on regularly
• Send SMS to customers advising no to visit branches/ATMs except in urgency and to use mobile banking and online services.
• Notify to the customers dedicated phone numbers for any transaction queries instead of visiting the branches.

Social Distancing at Temples/Mosques/Churches and other religious places

• The local authority to engage in dialogue with the management of religious establishment and bring the concerned persons in confidence for any action in this regard
• Need to practice social distancing measures, no closure is suggested
• People should avoid visiting such religious places as far as possible to keep them away from congregations
• The people who are suffering with fever/Cough/Cold should not be allowed into the premises of religious institution
• Cleaning and mopping should be done with 1% hypochlorite soulution frequently 
• Hand hygiene to ensure during offerings and blessings/distribution of prasads

Social Distancing at Supermarket and Grocery Stores

• No Closure of Supermarket or Groceries shops and will be operational for food groceries and essential items.
• Limit only 20-30 persons in store ensure that they are spread apart in different section. Window shoppers to be discouraged.
• Ensure every person hand are washed with alcohol-based sanitizer or hand washing facility before entering and leaving the shop by keeping enough hand sanitizers.
• Ensure that the staffs are not suffering from fever/cough and cold.
• Frequently mop the floor and shelves with bleach.
• The messages on personal hygiene and social distancing to be displayed prominently 
• All these above establishments will be allowed to remain open with the following conditions

Examination and Evaluation Centers

• Examination and evaluation centre should run as per schedule 
• In the examination hall the students are permitted to carry hand sanitizers
• Distance of more than one meter is to be ensured by the authority among the examinees inside the hall
• In the evaluation centre, provision of hand sanitizer at the entrance to be maintained 
• Interpersonal distance of more than one meter to be ensured among the evaluators
• Provision for soap and running water is a must for all such centres

Village Hat and Local Urban Hats

• The congregation should be reduced to minimum. However, the essential supplies through the hats should be in an orderly manners
• Wide IEC activity should be ensured in local language to bring awareness amongst people going to village hats

Engorcement of Social Distancing by the concerned Authorities

• Provisions of Section 144, CrPC shall not be invoked either the District Magistrates and Police in Commissionerate area to enforce Social distancing rather it should be implemented through IEC and awareness build up and media campaign.
• Strict hand washing in AHARK Kendra, OMFED booths, Canteens, Restaurants etc.
• The Public Delivery System (PDS), should ensure the supply of ration to the beneficiary like elderly, high risk and vulnerable people at the door steps and dispensation of ration through POS (Point of Sale) machines should be done with availability fo Sanitizer and hand hygiene practice. The POS machine should be regularly cleanced with disinfectant
• In public transport system regular mopping and sanitization of the seats, door handles and side bars etc. Ensure a safe distance inside the vehicle in order to maintain iterpersonal distance more than one meter
• Ensure availability hand sanitizers at banks, ATMs and post office, Regular mopping and sanitization should be done on regular basis
• A distance of more than one meter among the devotees should be maintained in religious places like temples, mosques, church etc. They should not be allowed to touch any surface or objects.
• Each District to appoing a vertical with Nodal officer for enforcing social distancing within the district. He/She should  coordinate with State Social Distancing committee at the State, chaired by APc-cum-Additional Chief Secretary
• All Steps to be taken not to create panic in public
• If there would be any specific issue on the matter of Social Distancing it should brought to the notice of the undersigned