Biswanath administration takes steps to address COVID-related issues

A CORRESPONDENT

BISWANATH CHARIALI: Biswanath administration has fully geared up to ensure that all COVID-related protocols laid down by the Election Commission, are adhered to in totality during the whole election process. The aim is to ensure that neither COVID-19 should affect the election process, nor the elections should end up aggravating the COVID scenario in the district.

The district administration has already formed a special 13-member cell to address COVID related issues and undertake various preventive measures under the charge of Liza Talukdar, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Biswanath, which also includes the Joint Director of Health Services. To start with, the cell is currently focusing on getting all frontline workers involved in election process vaccinated against COVID-19 by March 7.

"With regards to vaccination, we are doing pretty well. In fact Biswanath district is one of the frontrunners in this regard and we hope to achieve the target fully," said Dr.Bhupali Kashyap, Assisting Officer of the Cell.

Besides, the cell has formed two sanitization teams under PHE department for sanitizing buildings and polling stations. "The two teams are currently sanitizing training venues, EVM storehouses, various materials received from ECI for elections and all buildings and infrastructure to be used for election purpose," said Kankana Saikia, another assisting officer of the cell.

Saikia further added that the cell would carry out both pre-poll and post-poll sanitization of all polling stations. The cell will also ensure smooth distribution of COVID materials to polling parties, besides being responsible for timely and appropriate disposal of bio-medical wastes as per protocol from all the polling stations. The cell is also currently detailing all polling station-wise ASHA and Anganwadi workers so that their services could be utilized on the polling day for thermal screening of all the voters.

The polling personnel will also be thermal scanned on the day of their departure to their respective polling stations. Since the constitution of the cell on February 25, it has been regularly meeting to take stock of preparations and actions on the ground. The cell is in charge of execution of all COVID-19 management plans and also in identifying, earmarking and detecting of isolation and quarantine centres.

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