Punjab govt issues advisory on maintaining hygiene, sanitization in banks

Punjab Government on Friday issued a detailed advisory on maintaining the hygiene and sanitization in banks to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Punjab Government on Friday issued a detailed advisory on maintaining the hygiene and stization in banks to contain the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the advisory of the Health and Family Welfare Department, Punjab, COVID-19 is transmitted in most instances through respiratory droplets, direct contact with positive persons and also through contaminated surfaces/objects. Though the virus survives on environmental surfaces for a varied period of time, it gets easily inactivated by chemical disinfectants. Thus, correct and timely information about the virus is the key to control the deadly disease, an official spokesperson said.

Giving the advice to ensure social distancing of at least one meter amongst the customers, a spokesperson said that all banks should ensure that all customers are wearing a mask before entering the branch. It should also be ensured that every customer stizes his/her hands in the prescribed manner at the entrance of the bank branches.

Apart from this, all banks have been advised to provide separate timings for senior citizens, women and other category of customers depending upon the nature of accounts they hold, he added.

According to Information and Public Relations Department of Punjab, "Encouraging to launch a massive awareness campaign for promoting digital transactions, the state government asked the banks to use of electronic media to redress the grievances/queries of its customers, use of mobile based apps for quick information on available balances/loans etc. and minimal human interface in the physical bank branches."

The banks have been asked to install thermal scanners at the entry gate of the bank space and the bank manager should encourage the staff to stay at home in case of any fever or other symptoms related to the COVID-19.

If any staff detected with high fever during the office hours does not mandatorily mean that he/she is suffering from COVID-19.

It is advised to get the staff suffering from high fever medically examined by the bank manager only by temporarily isolating him/her from the rest of the bank space. It has also suggested that the employer may encourage the workers to download "COVA APP" developed by the Government of Punjab for the correct, timely and authentic information, the spokesperson added.

( With inputs from ANI )