Coronavirus: Faridabad disinfection 'tunnels' will not be used, says DC

Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service
Faridabad, April 13

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Though the district administration has installed four body sanitizing machines at public places in Faridabad amid the COVID- 19 outbreak, they have now decided to suspend the installation of more such machines.

The move comes after the advisory issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding disinfection activities. A letter quoting the guidelines of the WHO, issued by the office of the Director, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Chennai on April 11, says that “Disinfection tunnels will create a false sense of security and people may be diverted from handwash to Disinfection tunnel’’.

Also, the spraying of Alcohol, Chlorine or Lysol on human beings is not only harmful but also “ineffective,’’ says the communication issued to all the Deputy Directors, Health Services and Subordinate officials in various states.

The letter has asked the authorities’ concerned that disinfection tunnels be not installed and used.

Revealing that the district administration has decided to discourage the installation or use of such machines (tunnels),  DC Yash Pal Yadav, said that the authorities will keep a focus on ongoing measures like the promotion of hygiene, use of sanitizers, masks and social distancing to curb the COVID menace. Four such machines had already been installed and put to use at the Mini Secretariat, Civil Hospital and the ESI medical college here.

However, claiming that cost of one Disinfection tunnel was around Rs 50,000, Birender Kardam, Superintending Engineer, Municipal Corporation Faridabad(MCF) said an official instruction regarding the move to stop the use of such machines was yet to be received. These machines are based on Sodium Hypochlorite solution.

Meanwhile, as the total number of positive cases remain at 3 in the district, two samples have been resent for test after they were found inconclusive on Sunday. Result of another 117 samples is awaited.