Immunity Tea Bags, Sanitisers, Masks In MPs' Covid Kit, Sent By Speaker
Each kit contains 40 disposable masks, five N-95 masks, 20 bottles of sanitisers of 50 ml each, face shields, 40 pairs of gloves, a touch-free hook to open and close doors without touching them, herbal sanitation wipes and tea bags to enhance immunity.
by Akhilesh Sharma
New Delhi:
All parliamentarians attending the monsoon session have been given COVID-19 kits to protect them from the raging pandemic. The 18-day session, which began today, will have numerous safety measures.
The kits, provided by the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), were sent to the MPs on Sunday by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Each kit contains 40 disposable masks, five N-95 masks, 20 bottles of sanitisers of 50 ml each, face shields, 40 pairs of gloves, a touch-free hook to open and close doors without touching them, herbal sanitation wipes and tea bags to enhance immunity. Each kit also contains a Covid safety manual for the MPs.
"As you are aware, the Monsoon Session of Parliament is commencing on 14th September 2020 and will last up to October 1 without any holiday in between. This session is being held in extraordinary circumstances. While discharging our Constitutional responsibilities, we also have to comply with all the Covid-19 related guidelines," Mr Birla said in a letter to parliamentarians.
"I am sending a sanitisation kit along with this letter for your use. The kit provided by DRDO contain sanitisers, face masks, face shields, etc. I am sure that I will continue to receive your full cooperation in conducting proceedings of the House," Mr Birla said.
The session is being held amid huge safety measures at the parliament building complex. The measures include seating MPs in a staggered way in chambers of both Houses, as well as galleries to maintain physical distancing, introduction of mobile app for registering of their attendance and seats separated with poly-carbon sheets in the House.
At least seven union ministers have contracted coronavirus and two dozen lawmakers are recovering from it. An MP and several MLAS have died. Around 200 of the 785 MPs are above the age of 65 years, the population vulnerable to coronavirus.
Ahead of the session, all members were requested to get themselves tested for COVID-19 and one of them tested positive.