Reopening of PU colleges: State government issues SOP

Team Udayavani, Dec 29, 2020, 9:15 AM IST

Bengaluru: As PU colleges gear up to welcome back students in Karnataka, the directorate of Pre University Education has issued the standard operating procedures.

The guidelines should be followed besides the other guidelines laid down by the government.

The order requires the following measures to be compulsorily followed:

*Maintaining a distance of six feet between one another
*To compulsorily wear face masks
*Wash hands with soap after 40 to 60 seconds
*Hold handkerchief or tissue paper while coughing or sneezing and those to be disposed of
*Advisable to hold elbow against the mouth while sneezing or coughing
*Ban on spitting in public spaces
*Use Aarogya Setu app as far as possible

Guidelines before reopening of colleges:

*The classrooms, laboratories and other areas should be sanitized by 1% sodium hypochlorite liquid.
*If the colleges have been used as COVID-19 rooms, those should be sanitized completely more than once. The guidelines from the centre and the state should be followed in this connection.
*Second PU students should be allowed entry only if they attend voluntarily and bring a consent letter from their parents.
*It is necessary to bring a letter from the parents that students do not have COVID symptoms.
*Manual attendance should be taken instead of the biometric attendance.
*An undertaking of the procedure of washing hands with soap should be mandated.
*The premises outside the college should be marked with a distance of six feet between each marking and the *students should be made to walk in order. It should be made sure that students do not gather in groups in the library, meal room, staff room, principal’s room and college office.
*Teachers and the students should maintain social distance even outside the college premises.
*Groups prayers, sports and other activities where there can be gatherings should be banned.
*The telephone numbers of helplines and other health centres should be displayed on notice boards and other places.
*The cupboards in the college should also be sanitized. Students can be permitted to use them while adhering to social distance
*Swimming pools if any in the college premises should not be used and are to be closed completely.

Guidelines to be followed after reopening of the colleges:

*Hand sanitizers and thermal scanning should be kept at the entrance to the college. The facilities should be provided at entry and exit points.
*Hand sanitizers and thermal guns should be bought as per KTPP rules with the help of college funds or sponsorship from people or organizations.
*Four periods of 45 minutes each should be held every day.
*Attendance of students should not be made mandatory.
*15 students can be accommodated in a classroom on the basis of area and the need.
*Only those students, teachers and staff without symptoms should be permitted in the college premises. The nearest health centre should be informed if there are symptoms in any of them.
*Posters with details on control of the pandemic should be pasted in the college premises.
*Students gathering should be controlled while parking vehicle, climbing stairs and getting down the corridors.
*The entry of visitors should be banned.
*The time should be set in laboratories according to the area and the number of students so that social distance is maintained.
*The school apparatus and tools should be cleaned and disinfected.
*If vehicles are arranged to pick and drop students at the residences, social distance should be maintained and the vehicles should be sanitized with 1% sodium hypochlorite liquid.

Guidelines to be followed when classes are in progress:

*The rooms and the corridor should be cleaned every day.
*Hand sanitizer should be made available in sufficient quantity in toilets.
*The tables, desks, doors, chairs and benches and items in use in the toilets should be sanitized with 1% sodium hypochlorite liquid.
*Stationery, computer, laptop and other items should be sanitized.
*Places of drinking water, washing hands, washroom and toilets should be kept clean.
*All should be told to dispose of used face cover and masks separately. The dry trash collected and put in the bins should be disposed of at least once in three days.
*Students should not take part in cleaning at the college premises.
*Awareness should be created among students to not gather in groups when the colleges close for the day.
*Students, parents and staff should be educated about the COVID pandemic.

Action to be taken if COVID-19 symptoms are found in teachers, staff and students:

*The person with symptoms should be kept in an isolation room and their parents and relatives should be informed.
*The mask should be worn by the person till the doctor examines him/her.
*The nearest medical facility, the state or district helpline should be informed.
*Necessary remedial measures should be undertaken if the person is found to be infected.
*The college premises should be sanitized immediately when a person is found to be infected.