On Thursday, 5th March, The Delhi govt has advised offices to suspend biometric attendance in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
“A letter has been written to principal secretaries, secretaries, autonomous bodies and municipal corporations for the suspension of biometric attendance in view of coronavirus threat,” the official told PTI.
Several government institutions and organizations started registering attendance manually.
The South and East Delhi municipal corporations have directed all the offices, schools and hospitals under it to immediately discontinue biometric attendance system. “This is being done for the safety of our staff. Till March 31, attendance will be registered manually,” said a senior South Delhi Municipal Corporation official.
SDMC commissioner Gyanesh Bharti held a meeting on Thursday where he directed all officials to prepare material for the large-scale public awareness program. “Within three days, we will have banners, hoardings and other material ready to inform the public about the dos and don’ts,” said an official. All schools under the four municipal corporations have been shut following Delhi government orders.
At all Delhi government offices, attendance is being recorded in registers.
According to Hindustan Times, Education institutions such as Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has asked its teaching staff to sign on registers to mark their attendance. A notice signed by P Asai Babu, deputy registrar administration, JNU, read that the biometric attendance system had been “suspended till further orders”.
City doctors say as the disease spreads through close contact also, the use of the biometric system increases the risk of infection. “If a sick person has punched the system then microbes tend to remain on the surface of the system, risking the spread if a healthy person touches the system,” said Dr. RK Singal, chairman, internal medicine department, BLK Hospital.
The fear of the spread of the coronavirus has led to the cancellation of some events in the city.
According to media sources, one more case of novel coronavirus was reported in Ghaziabad in the national capital region, taking the total number in the country to 30 so far.
The Italian Embassy cancelled its National Day celebrations in Delhi scheduled on March 17. “In view of the situation in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, the Ambassador of Italy is constrained to cancel the Italian National Day celebrations scheduled on March 17. The fresh date, as and when decided, will be communicated to the invitees,” read the release from the embassy.
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