The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) Commissioner has announced that domestic workers can resume their services from Monday onwards.
The decision was taken after the BBMP Commissioner Anil Kumar held a meeting on Sunday evening with the Bangalore Apartment Federation (BFA) and various resident welfare associations (RWAs) to discuss the challenges of allowing domestic workers to resume their work. Bengaluru has so far had 149 cases of COVID-19, in which 72 patients have recovered and 7 died.
The Commissioner said that only domestic workers who live in a walkable distance can commence work and not others. Those people who live in containment zones but employed as domestic workers cannot commence work now.
According to the Bangalore Apartment Federation (BAF), in case any domestic helps are not yet comfortable resuming duties, there should not be any coercion.
Their statement said, “On the issue of services by domestic-helps and other support staff, the BBMP team has assured that it is safe to permit resumption of services. This resumption should be accompanied by very strict measures like perimeter temperature checks, sanitization, wearing of masks and gloves, social-distancing in common-areas as applicable, etc. While people from containment zones are strictly banned from leaving those zones and authorities are ensuring that, it is in the interest of RWAs to double-check entry origins vis-à-vis containment zones.”
The BBMP Commissioner also stressed that people who fall in high risk category have to be protected, and social distancing should be followed. He also reiterated in his tweet that masks must be worn at all times.
Bengaluru has fined several individuals in the city for not wearing masks while they're out in public. More than Rs 98,350 has been collected from people for not wearing masks. Those people who are moving around in apartment complexes are also urged to wear masks at all times.
The Commission also reiterated that previous COVID-19 guidelines that swimming pools, gyms and play areas should be closed, is still applicable. Opening up these utilities will have to wait till the completion of the current lockdown phase. Visitors and delivery persons should be stopped at the gate itself.
BBMP has also empowered health officers to fine those who do not segregate medical waste. This includes masks and gloves. As per guidelines, medical waste should be clearly marked and put in a different packet and pourakarmikas must be duly informed while the waste is being handed over. This is to ensure the safety of hygiene workers.
The statement from Bangalore Apartment Federation (BFA) added, “There would soon be a wave of internationally stranded Indians who would be permitted to be return back – about 10,000 people are expected into Karnataka. The BBMP team has sought the support of the RWAs in implementing home-quarantine measures (14 days) like it was done during the first phase of lockdown. The BBMP team appreciated the role played by RWAs and residents in all these days of lockdown in keeping Bengaluru the best performing metro in terms of the infection cases.”