COVID-19 surge in TEs Administration ready with preventive steps
Over 30,000 vaccinated in garden areas
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Worried over the surging COVID-19 positive cases in tea estates, the State Health Department has come out with a slew of preventive measures.
Already Zaloni Tea Estate in the Dibrugarh district has been declared a containment zone. Over 150 COVID-19 positive cases have been detected in the garden. COVID positive cases are on the rise in several other tea estates as well.
According to sources, COVID-19 testing was not up to the mark in tea garden areas in the State, and that has worsened the situation.
COVID positive cases are on the rise in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tinsukia, Golaghat etc. Since most of the tea estates are located in these upper Assam districts, the cascading effects of the COVID surge are a must in the tea gardens, sources feel.
Weekly and fortnightly markets in tea estates are largely attended. According to sources, COVID protocol often goes for a toss in such markets, and the respective district administrations haven't been able to enforce the protocol there.
Based on their sizes, tea estates have workers' strengths varying from 2,500-6,000. The State Health Department has not been able to conduct COVID tests of such a large number of workers and their families and vaccinate them on time, sources said.
Meanwhile, ABITA (Assam Branch Indian Tea Association) sources said, "We've ensured COVID-19 protocol like wearing face masks, hand sanitization and maintaining social distancing among the garden workers under us. However, the responsibilities of COVID testing and vaccination lie with the State Government. The vaccination drive has to be sped up."
Sources in the ACMS (Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha) said that the COVID test and vaccination drive have not been adequate in tea gardens. "Since the State government has closed all offices after 2 pm, it should make tea garden managements let tea workers work up to 2 pm without any cut in their wages," the Sangha demanded.
The ATTSA (Assam Tea Tribe Students' Association) has raised the demand for special SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) exclusively for tea gardens in the State to prevent further spread of the virus.
According to National Health Mission (NHM) sources, to date, more than 3,000 sanitization sessions are being conducted, reaching more than 30,000 TE people. To date, more than 30,000 tea garden people have been vaccinated in the State, the sources said.
Apart from this, mobile medical units have also been pressed into service, and are working in close coordination with their respective district health societies, it said. Masks are being distributed among healthcare workers in tea gardens, besides the supply of essential device support like thermal scanners, oximeters, digital BP machines etc to tea estate hospitals, NHM sources said.
Mission sources further said that Tea community youths have been engaged to sensitize the tea community, besides regular miking to create awareness on COVID and COVID-appropriate behaviour.