COVID 19

Standard Operating Procedure – Prevention of COVID-19

The Students, faculty & staff and visitors to the NCR Campus are mandated to follow the Standard Operating Procedure during COVID-19 Pandemic issued by the University as hereunder.

INTRODUCTION

It is a known fact that coronavirus, Covid-19 has become a pandemic with several countries having been affected by the virus. The virus is highly infectious and is spread by aerosol transmission. Any one getting in to direct contact with an infected person through droplets (sneezing or coughing) or by inadvertently fingers one’s eyes, nostrils or mouth after laying hands on any infected hard surface such as door handles, switches etc carries high risk of getting infected by the Virus. The infection may lead to severe respiratory problems and may become fatal in some cases. Although serious efforts are ongoing across the world, an effective solution to medically treat the infection of Covid-19 is still at large. The Country is currently on a lockdown mode as declared by the Government. The WHO and the Government of India have prescribed number of precautions to be followed to stay away from the infection. CHRIST deems it its utmost duty to keep all its stakeholders well informed of the laid down precautions to ensure their safety and health at all times whether they remain within or outside the Campus. The University has therefore developed a Standard Operating Procedure in respect of its academic activities and facilities to be followed by all concerned during and after the lockdown period, which may be further modified depending on the post-lockdown guidelines that may be directed by the Government.

The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to have a mandatory procedure to be followed by every member entering, remaining and/or residing in the campus to prevent/check the spread of COVID 19 during and after the lockdown period declared by the Government. The SOP has been particularly developed in order to save the academic year for the students and for enabling commencement of classes during the lockdown period, subject to UGC clearance, in view of uncertainty about the duration of lockdown period.

All the entrants to the Campus or to its academic/administrative facilities including hostels, stores, canteens, Bank ATM etc must necessarily follow the listed procedure. Subject to directional guidelines that may be issued by the State/Central Government from time to time, no visitors including staff, students, parents, guests and vendors shall be allowed entry in to the Campus or to its facilities unless pre-screened and by wearing protective face masks and that too only for pre-approved / urgent reasons.

The Scope of the SOP is to specify the guidelines that will be adopted by the University in the day to day conduct of its teaching/learning responsibilities and for hygienic maintenance of the academic and non-academic support facilities. The SOP shall also prescribe the safety precautions to be followed by students, faculty members and staff members on a regular basis while in Campus during or after the lockdown period until such time the deadly virus is fully eradicated. The SOP shall be applicable to the entire Campus of the University inclusive of all its extended premises.

The Operating Procedures as herein contained as Protocols refers to the instructions to be followed with regard to upkeep and usage of various facilities available at the University as detailed hereunder:

Protocol for General Cleaning, Maintenance and Hygiene of Campus Infrastructure:

The University shall ensure that its entire Campus premises of academic, administrative and other buildings including pathways, washrooms, staircases, lifts etc are well maintained with hygienic care by carrying out the following procedures.

  1. Daily sweeping and wet mopping of all room floors with disinfectant soap solution.
  2. Daily cleaning of all Door & window handles/knobs, railings of staircase, lift exteriors, washbasin & closet handles/knobs with disinfectant soap solution.
  3. Daily cleaning of all tables/chairs/desks/benches in all rooms including offices, canteens etc with disinfectant cleaning liquid.
  4. Daily cleaning Gym equipment’s/computers / copiers/ water coolers etc with disinfectant cleaning liquid.
  5. Daily cleaning of the transporting vehicles and spraying of its interior with disinfectants
  6. Weekly spraying of approved disinfectants on all class rooms, faculty cabins, meeting rooms, offices, canteens, lift interiors, washrooms etc and all such areas where people move about.
  7. Weekly cleaning of all Hostel Rooms and residences including spraying of approved disinfectants.
  8. Monthly fumigation of interior and exterior of all buildings of the University housed within its Campus and the interior of all its hostels and residences.

Protocol for Personal Hygiene and Safety

  1. Every one entering the class rooms / offices/ canteen etc must ensure hand wash with soap or sanitiser provided in the wash rooms.
  2. Use disposable tissues (napkins) / hand dryers provided in the wash room for wiping after hand wash. No towels will be provided in the wash rooms. Dispose the used tissues in the self- closing dustbins provided.     
  3. Personal greeting of each other must be restricted to smile and there shall be no hugging or shaking hands.
  4. Ensure to cover the nose and mouth with hand kerchief while sneezing or coughing and regularly soap wash the handkerchief.
  5. Always keep social distancing of at least one meter and wear the face mask while using the lift and whenever meeting anyone outside the class rooms or offices.
  6. Wash and dry the re-usable face masks at least once in a day.
  7. Do not allow usage of one’s personal phones / laptops by another.
  8. Always drink water using personal water bottle.

Protocol for recording Staff Attendance

  1. Sign in and sign out by the employees shall be switched to face recognition mode from the current practice of using thumb impression. In the interim the attendance recorder shall be sanitised after every use.
  2. There shall be staggered hours for marking attendance to avoid overcrowding and while queuing for marking attendance everyone must keep the prescribed safe distance.

Protocol within the Class rooms/Library/Meeting rooms

  1. Until full normalization of environmental safety post lockdown, most of the classes shall be held ‘online’ through appropriate learning platform/s except for a few programmes needing regular class conduct and those which involves laboratory work.
  2. While holding classes in regular class rooms or in the laboratory by exception, the students shall be seated keeping the safe distance and they shall be required to follow the prescribed Protocol Personal Hygiene and Safety to the extent applicable.
  3. Use of Library shall be with staggered hours for students of different programmes to prevent overcrowding and entry shall be strictly in accordance with the schedule. All students/faculty entering the Library shall be required to follow the prescribed Protocol for Personal Hygiene and Safety to the extent applicable.
  4. Any meeting of Staff/faculty or of Regulatory Bodies shall be held only in pre-sanitised meeting rooms and every one attending the meeting shall follow the prescribed Protocol for Personal Hygiene and Safety to the extent applicable.

Protocol within the Canteen / Campus Store

  1. Canteen facility shall be staggered with breakfast hours between 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM and Lunch Hours between 12.30 PM and 2.30PM and Dinner Hours (if provided) between 7PM and 9PM. This is aimed to prevent overcrowding.
  2. Entry in to the Canteen at any point of time shall be by following social distancing norms. Seating will be subject to prescribed safe distance and food shall be collected in from the food counters following a queue system of safe distance.
  3. Food served at the canteen shall be on hygienically sanitised crockery/plates/cups.
  4. Every one entering the Canteen shall follow the prescribed Protocol for Personal Hygiene and Safety to the extent applicable.
  5. Anyone availing the service from the Campus Store at the University shall follow a queue system of safe distance. There shall be no physical contact whatsoever while doing the transaction.
  6. All payments in the canteen as well as in the Campus store must be through digital mode of Google Pay or Paytm and must avoid usage of Debit/Credit Cards as far as possible.  

Protocol at Bank ATM

While using the Bank ATM at the Campus or elsewhere the following procedure must be followed.

  1. Do not enter the ATM Lobby if someone else is transacting.
  2. Do not enter the ATM Lobby if having any symptom of cold, flu or fever.
  3. Wear facemask while inside the ATM Lobby.
  4. Sanitise your hands before and after transacting at the ATM/Cash Kiosk.
  5. Minimise hand touch areas in the ATM Lobby.
  6. Do not leave any used tissue or such material within the ATM Lobby.

Protocol within the Hostels

  1. The inmates/residents must maintain absolute cleanliness within the hostel and shall follow the prescribed Protocol for Personal Hygiene and Safety to the extent applicable.
  2. Dispose of all wastes in the prescribed manner and ensure that the House Keeping Staff regularly attend to the specified cleaning activities as per Hostel Regulation of the University.
  3. Do not allow or entertain any outsider including relatives and friends (other than those who are authorised) to enter the Hostel Room for any purpose whatsoever. Avoid socialising absolutely.  
  4. As far as possible the inmates/residents should stay within their allocated rooms and usage of common room must be for essential purposes by following the safe distance procedure.
  5. Those who occupy hostels on sharing basis must stick to strict exclusive use of their personal belongings, particularly the cosmetics like soap, comb, shaving kits and the like.
  6. While going out for getting groceries or other essentials including for food wear the face mask and maintain safe distance requirements. Always do proper hands wash with soap immediately on return from outside.
  7. If food is ordered for delivery through any of the catering service providers, make it pre-paid and use the food by transferring to own crockery/vessel. As far as possible avoid use of the containers in which the food is brought.
  8. If feeling unwell while on stay in the Hostel the inmates/residents must strictly follow the Protocol during Sickness.
  9. If the sick inmate/resident fails to report sickness as per the specified Protocol for any reason whatsoever, it shall be the duty of co-inmates/residents to bring the same to the notice of the Hostel Warden and the Protocol Monitoring Team.

Protocol During Sickness

  1. If any student, faculty, staff or any other member of the University community fall sick with one or more of cold, cough, fever, head ache, breathing difficulty, vomiting sensation or diarrhoea irrespective of their place of stay shall immediately report to Protocol Monitoring Team (PMT) and present themselves for medical advice and treatment at the Campus Clinic or at the outpatient centre of the recognised hospital.
  2. The PMT depending on the recommended medical advice shall take immediate steps either to isolate the patient in quarantine in one of the residences of the University or shall get the patient admitted to a recognised hospital and shall extend all necessary care and support.
  3. All cases of isolation/quarantine of any of the students shall be immediately notified to their parents.
  4. Any student /faculty/staff suffering from any of the said symptoms and are only prescribed medicines and not advised for isolation may attend classes /duties subject to maintaining social distancing and wearing the facemasks at all times. However, all such persons shall undertake weekly medical review.

General Protocol

The General Protocol refers to guidelines as detailed hereunder that will be applicable towards monitoring the compliance of all the specified Protocols.

  1. The University shall make continuous digital display at various vantage points in different locations of the Campus of various protocols to be followed.
  2. There shall be a Protocol Monitoring Team (PMT) consisting of faculty members and senior students who shall be responsible to ensure compliance of the Protocols by all concerned. The PMT headed by a senior faculty shall report to the Campus Director.
  3. Other than the PMT the Security Personnel shall be authorised to intervene as when they observe any violation of the Protocol norms, with due information to PMT.
  4. The Housekeeping Staff, Canteen Staff including of Kitchen, Campus Store Attendants, Gym Attendants and the Laboratory Attendants shall carry out their respective job responsibilities in accordance with the requirements of the applicable Protocol and shall be under direct administrative supervision of the PMT.
  5. The Hostel Wardens concerned shall oversee the expected Protocol compliances in the Hostel/s under their charge and shall take corrective measures as and when required.

In addition, what is stated above for the use of Bus Service of the university and the Gym Facility at the Delhi NCR Campus the following protocols shall be followed.

Protocol for Bus Service

As far as possible everyone is advised to use their own mode of private transport to commute to the campus. Those who wish to use the Bus Facility provided by the university the following protocol must be followed.

  1. The students who have fever or other symptoms like sneezing, cough and cold, etc shall not use the bus service.
  2. The students should sanitise their hands before entering and after leaving the bus.
  3. The students should follow the social distancing norms while travelling in the bus.
  4. Students are expected to wear facemask while inside the bus.
  5. Encourage minimise hand touch areas in the bus.
  6. Students shall not leave any used tissue or such material with the bus.

Protocol at GYM

While using the Gym at the campus the following procedure must be followed.

  1. User who has fever or other symptoms like sneezing, cough and cold, etc shall stay at home.
  2. Once the training session is over the gym shall be disinfected.
  3. The number of people allowed in the gym depends on following the social distancing norms. The user has to wait for their turn to enter the gym.
  4. Users must undergo temperature scanning prior to entering the gym.
  5. Users are required to enter the gym once and exit once during the entire duration of their training.