All Central staff told to join work; cases rising in Maha

11,649 cases, 90 deaths in 24 hrs ■ Office timings staggered

Amid a significant decline in the number of active Covid-19 cases across the country, particularly in Delhi, the Central government has asked all its employees to start attending office as they did before the lockdown.

There will be no exemption for any category of employees, except for those living in containment zones. Such staff and officers will work from home and come to office only after their containment zone is denotified.

Offices will now follow staggered timings to avoid any overcrowding in workplaces and meetings will largely be held via video conferencing. Biometric attendance systems will for the time being remain suspended. All department canteens too will be opened, with safety protocols in place, to avoid any crowding.

So far officers of the level of undersecretary and above were attending office due to the restrictions imposed since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Centre had in May asked 50 per cent of its employees below the level of deputy secretary to work from their offices through staggered timings. The country on Monday registered 11,649 fresh Covid-19 cases and 90 deaths. While new cases in most states are on the decline, in a major worry Maharashtra has once again started reporting a high number of cases.

The state, that was once the pandemic’s epicentre, on Monday reported 4,092 fresh cases after nearly six weeks. With the cases going up, health experts have sounded the alarm, saying this may lead to a “third wave” in the state, particularly in Mumbai. Some believe the resumption of local trains, and not adhering to Covid-19 protocols, could be the main reason for this rise. If the cases are not controlled soon, the state government may be compelled to reimpose some restrictions. Gujarat has announced that it will extend its midnight to 6 am curfew in four cities — Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot — till February 28. India has till now vaccinated a total of 85.16 lakh persons.

◗ There will be no exemption for any category of employees, except for those living in containment zones. Such staff and officers will work from home and come to office only after their containment zone is denotified.