Govt staff to be thermal screened, no convening meetings: TN

As part of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday said it has ordered thermal screening for all its employees across the state and advised against convening meetings and appealed to people to avoid visiting government offices.

Continuing with the instructions already issued like social distancing to thwart the pathogen's dispersion, Tamil state chief secretary K Shanmugam, in a communique to top authorities including department heads and district collectors, advised strict compliance with the new directions like thermal screening.

"All the staff shall be subjected to thermal scanning in order to diagnose any symptoms of COVID-19. Staff, who are having any symptom like cold, fever, cough, shortness of breath/breathing difficulties, shall remain at home in order to stop the spread of the virus and advised to take appropriate medical care," the chief secretary said in the communique.

Advising government servants to maintain high personal hygiene like handwashing, the state government advised the general public against visiting any government office "unless it is absolutely necessary and may communicate with government offices through email/telephone for ordinary purpose."

Also, Shanmugam said if people visited government offices they should be screened with thermal scanner.

"Meetings should not be convened unless it is very essential and officers and staff should not be asked to visit head offices unless it is very essential."

If meeting was already planned, it can be rescheduled, and people and staff, who visit offices should be asked to wash their hands with hand sanitisers or by using soap and water. "Hand sanitiser should be kept at the entrance of all offices for this purpose," the communique said.