Ganjam spells out norms to check virus spread from shops
Berhampur: The Ganjam district administration on Monday asked shopkeepers to adopt five strategies to curb further spread of the virus and help in contact tracing of the positive persons, as the number of Covid-19 cases breached the 9,000-mark in Ganjam district with the detection of 491 new patients and deaths touching 82 with three more succumbing to the disease.
Described as “Panchasutra”, the strategies include double barricades in front of shops, use of masks by both customers and shop-keepers and strict enforcement of “No mask, No goods” norm, circle for customers to ensure social distancing, sanitisation/handwashing and maintaining a contact diary of customers.
“We have asked all the shopkeepers to follow the Panchasutra to contain the further spread of the coronavirus. Action will be taken against those shop-keepers who violate the direction,” said district collector Vijay Amruta Kulange.
The district administration has taken the step suspecting the shops to be responsible for the spread of the killer virus because a number of people visit the place for shopping, particularly in the bazaar areas. Earlier, the district administration increased the fine amount to Rs 5000 for the shop-keepers, who violate the social distancing norms. Shop-keepers will be fined Rs 5,000 and the shop will be closed for 15 days for first violation of Covid social distancing norms. The shop will be closed for a month and FIR registered against the shop-keeper if it is found violating the norm for the second time.
The administration has also decided to launch a campaign for health screening of the shop-keepers. “The shop will be closed for about one month if the owner of the outlet is found to be Covid-19 positive,” sources added. “Except contact diary, all other strategies have already been implemented by the traders, as the district administration instructed them so from time to time,” said president of Odisha Byabyasai Mahasangh (OBM) Ch Rabindra Nath.
He said maintaining a contact diary in the outlets is not possible for a shop-keeper as many people visit the shop. “Also there is no guarantee that the customer discloses his correct identity to the shopkeeper while he is shopping,” said Nath. Despite the fact, we would ask the traders to follow the instructions of the district administration in the larger interest of the society, he added.
The OBM president appealed to the administration not to take stringent action against the traders by imposing heavy penalties. “During the pandemic period, the traders are playing a crucial role in the supply of essential commodities,” he said. He urged the government to declare the traders as Covid warriors on a par with the other frontline workers like doctors, nurses, police persons, etc.