Collector K. Rajamani has urged industries to quarantine migrant workers who are returning to work and to test those who show symptoms of COVID-19.
At a meeting held on Wednesday with representatives of industrial associations, the Collector said that nearly 47,000 workers, who returned home during May-June, had come back. When the workers returned, they should be quarantined for a week to 10 days. Only those, who did not have symptoms, should be permitted to enter the factories. Even if a unit wanted to test all the workers, it should be done after four or five days of the return and not immediately.
In a press release, the Collector pointed out that the industries had started working with 100 % workforce. All units should use thermal scanners to check temperature, use pulse oximeters, and maintain registers. If any worker had fever or cold, he or she should be tested immediately. The units should also have hand sanitisers at the entrance. Vehicle parking area should not be crowded and there should be separate entrance for workers and to move goods. The masks and gloves used at industries should be disposed off safely. The common bathrooms and drinking water facilities should be cleaned regularly.
While the number of cases reported in industries was low in the district, all precautions should be taken.
The Collector told The Hindu officials from the Revenue, Health, Labour, and Industrial Safety departments and local bodies would visit the factories regularly to ensure that all the protocols were followed. Officials from the Industrial Safety Department visited 600 units and a few had some violations. Both, the Central and State governments, were monitoring the situation in Coimbatore district because of the presence of large number of industries. The industries had so far followed the norms. The district administration was also focusing on industrial segment to ensure the units took all steps to control the spread, he said.