400 Parliament staffers test positive, Rajya Sabha Secretariat issues new guidelines

The Rajya Sabha secretariat has issued new COVID guidelines after 400 parliament staffers testing positive on Sunday (January 9). Staff attendance at the secretariat has been restricted after Vice President and RS Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu conducted a review of the situation.

As per the new RS COVID guidelines, 50% of officials or stuff that are blow the under-secretary or executive officer rank will be working from home.

Necessary measures were ordered to curb the COVID-19 spread among staff and officials at the secretariat after VP Naidu’s review. The fresh guidelines came after the large number of staffers – 65 from the Rajya Sabha, 200 from the Lok Sabha and 133 from the allied services – tested positive during random COVID-19 testing on January 6-7. The test was done after the sudden surge in cases across the national capital.

Among the new guidelines, the secretariat timings have been staggered and all official meetings are directed to be conducted virtually in order to avoid crowding. Pregnant women and parliamentary staffers with disabilities have been given an exemption from office attendance.

Agencies further reported that most of the parliamentary staffers who returned a positive test were asymptomatic. Random testing will continue for staffers coming to the Parliament to curb the spread.