Wear face masks, WFH if cough, flu: Noida health dept's Covid guidelines

Amid a rise in Covid cases, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Health Department on Thursday issued a set of recommendations that includes practising social distancing and use of face masks at offices, schools, colleges, and cinema halls, among other public places.

For workplaces, the guidelines recommend the use of sanitisers, proper cleaning of offices, thermal temperature scanners at office entries, and work-from-home option for employees showing signs of cold, cough, fever, and flu and suggested Covid test for them.

The guidelines came as Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi, registered 114 more positive cases of Covid on Thursday, pushing the tally of active patients across Noida and Greater Noida to 396 -- the highest so far this year, according to official data.

As of date, of the total, only 15 Covid patients are hospitalised while 69 have recovered since Wednesday. The total samples taken for testing since Wednesday were 1,727, the data showed.

"A rise in cases of Covid has been noted in the country, including parts of Uttar Pradesh. Keeping that and protection against the infection in mind, it is very important to follow these precautions and Covid protocol, Chief Medical Officer Sunil Kumar Sharma, who issued the guidelines, said.