The newly elected members of local bodies who test positive for COVID-19 or are prescribed quarantined will be allowed to take the oath on December 21 wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), the State Election Commission has said.
Such members will be permitted to take their oaths after all other members have done so, the commission said in a circular issued to District Collectors and officials on election-related duty and the Local Self-Government Department. The members should inform the returning officer concerned before the swearing-in ceremony if he/she is a COVID-19 patient or in quarantine. The District Election Officer concerned has been directed to provide such members with PPE kits.
For the 2020 local body polls, the commission had made elaborate arrangements for allowing COVID-19 patients and quarantined voters to exercise their franchise. Special voters who tested positive or were quarantined within ten days of the elections up to 3 p.m. on the eve of the election day were issued special postal ballot papers. Electors who tested positive for COVID-19 and prescribed quarantine after 3 p.m. on the eve of the election day were permitted to visit the polling booths wearing PPEs.
Elected members of grama panchayats, blocks, district panchayats, municipalities, and municipal Corporations will take the oath of office on December 21. The heads and deputy heads of the local bodies will be elected on December 28 and December 30.
Model code period ends
The period for the model code of conduct declared for the local body elections that came to effect in the State on November 6 ends by Friday (December 18) night, the State Election Commissioner V. Bhaskaran has said.
