Immunity-boosting tea, touch-free hooks: Parliament getting COVID ready for monsoon session

All MPs will be provided a special COVID kit for the upcoming session of Parliament

India Parliament

A 'touch-free' hook to open and close doors without touching them, sea buckthorn tea bags to boost immunity and herbal sanitation wipes are among the items in a COVID-19 protection kit to be provided to all MPs attending the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament.

A multi-utility COVID kit, prepared by the DRDO, will be provided to all MPs attending the session. Each kit will have 40 three-ply masks, five N-95 masks without valve, 20 bottles of sanitiser, five polypropylene face shields and 40 gloves, apart from the innovative touch-free hook, sea buckthorn tea bags and herbal sanitation wipes. It has also been decided that parliamentary papers, including list of business, bulletins, and bills and ordinances will be provided to the members only electronically. The MPs can access the papers through their portal accounts, and circulation of hard copies of these documents is being discontinued. The legislators may bring their e-reader devices to the house to refer to the papers or carry print-outs for their use.

MPs will be required to use the e-notice facility to serve notices through electronic mode, instead of physically giving them.

Ahead of the session, all MPs are required to undergo the RT-PCR COVID-19 test, and they have been asked to get their test done within 72 hours before the commencement of the session. Test centres have been set up at Parliament Annexe for the members to get tested. Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu underwent the COVID-19 test on Friday, according to a statement from the office of the vice president.

RT-PCR tests have been made mandatory for the employees of Parliament Secretariats and other agencies deployed in Parliament House Complex who remain in close proximity of the members during the proceedings. Arrangements have also been made to conduct Rapid Antigen Tests for the personal staff and drivers of MPs.

In order to ensure social distancing norms, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will function in two different shifts during the day, with members to be seated in both houses of Parliament as also the galleries. Members will be allowed to speak while sitting.

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