Voters with fever to be allowed inside polling booths only after 6pm

In the instruction given to the volunteers, the civic body has directed them to keep thermal scanning devices, sanitisers and other equipment ready at the booths before the polling starts. “The volunteers should wear facemasks, face shields and gloves. If any voter enters the polling station without wearing mask, the volunteers should hand over a face mask,” said the order issued by the civic body.

The District Election Office has made arrangements to deploy two volunteers per polling booth in the city to ensure COVID-19 safety measures were strictly followed.

The order directed volunteers to send back voters with high temperature, and ask them to come between 6 pm and 7 pm to cast their votes. Volunteers should also wear PPE kits after 6 pm when the persons with COVID-19 would be allowed inside the polling booths. The civic body will provide PPE kits to voters who have the viral infection.

“All polling booths were disinfected on Monday evening; the booths will be disinfected again on polling day. Voters will be allowed inside only if they wear facemasks. To dispose of the used PPE kits, masks and others, yellow coloured bags and bins have been placed at the booths,” the Corporation said in a press release.

Apart from COVID safety measures, the civic body has also made arrangements to help elderly voters and persons with disabilities at the polling booths by appointing volunteers. In total, 1,061 volunteers, along with wheelchairs, have been deployed at the 1,061 polling stations in the city.

In total, the city has 5,911 polling booths at the 1,061 polling stations. “Voters can know the location and other details of their polling booths using the ‘Voters Helpline’ smartphone application, “ the release added.