Budget Session: New COVID-19 guidelines issued for Rajya Sabha staff amid Omicron surge - 5 points

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday (January 9) has reviewed the COVID situation and directed that necessary measures be taken to contain the spread of the virus among the Secretariat officials and staff as the Budget Session to roll at the end of the month.

The new guidelines come as 50 staff members of the parliament tested positive for coronavirus on Sunday ahead of the Budget session.

As COVID cases continue to surge, here are the new guidelines for the Rajya Sabha staff member:

• Rajya Sabha Secretariat restricted staff attendance to 50%. Officials and staff below the rank of under-secretary/executive officer are required to WFH till the end of this month as per new protocols.
• Staff members with disabilities and pregnant women are exempted from attending office.
• Starting and closing timings of the Secretariat are staggered to avoid crowding.
• All official meetings will be held virtually to avoid physical contact between staff members
• More random testing will be conducted for those coming to Parliament to control the infection spread.

Earlier, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had requested all staffers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

On Saturday evening, the national capital reported 20,181 fresh Covid-19 cases, the highest in the last eight months and also the highest single-day rise after May 5, 2021 when the tally was at 20,960.

The new cases have pushed the infection tally to 15,26,979 in the city.

The death toll increased to 25,143 after seven more fatalities were registered.