Haryana Govt exempts employees from marking their attendance through biometric machines

As Coronavirus cases rose in the country, the Haryana government on Monday issued directions to exempt employees from marking their attendance through biometric machines till March 31, 2020. All employees in Haryana will henceforth mark their attendance in physical attendance registers.

A government spokesperson said that a letter has been issued in this regard to all Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Divisional Commissioners, Managing Directors, Chief Administrators of Boards and Corporations, Deputy Commissioners/Sub Divisional Officers and the Registrars of Universities in Haryana.

The spokesman added that the most common method of transmission of Coronavirus is through infected surfaces.

It is said that transmission is possible if a person touches a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touches their own face, but this is not the only way COVID-19 spreads.

Keeping in view the transmission capacity of Coronavirus, the Haryana government has decided to exempt people from marking attendance through biometric machines.

READ | Amid Coronavirus Scare, Delhi Govt Orders All Primary Schools To Remain Shut Till March 31

Delhi govt suspends biometric attendance

The Delhi government on Thursday, March 5, advised the head of departments (HoDs), autonomous bodies and municipal corporations to suspend the biometric attendance system in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, an official said.

"A letter has been written to principal secretaries, secretaries, autonomous bodies and municipal corporations for the suspension of biometric attendance in view of coronavirus threat," the official told PTI.

READ | Amid Coronavirus Scare, National Green Tribunal (NGT) Stops Biometric Attendance

Karnataka Govt to suspend biometric attendance

As a precautionary measure to control the spread of coronavirus in Karnataka, the state government has planned to suspend biometric attendance for the time-being at its offices, also in corporate and IT companies, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said on Saturday. He said the government has taken all precautionary measures to control the spread of the virus in the state.

"Our Additional Chief Secretary has already spoken to IT companies yesterday on behalf of the government regarding guidelines that need to be followed, it is part of it...we will do it in the government also in the days to come," Sudhakar told reporters.

READ | Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar Postpones All 'mass Gatherings' Amidst Coronavirus Scare

Meanwhile, on Monday, the government revealed that positive cases of the novel Coronavirus in India had soared up to 43 after new cases were reported from across the country including a three-year-old child. Four new cases emerged from Kerala, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu, which reported one positive case each raising the number to 43.

READ | Coronavirus: Haryana Police Issues Advisory To Field Units On Precautionary Measures

(with inputs from ANI)