Centre to follow Aurangabad pattern of testing for traders

Aurangabad: The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation’s move of making Covid-19 tests mandatory for all businesses in the city is now set to be implemented across the country.

The Union health ministry has issued a communication asking all states and Union Territories to test vendors and grocery store owners, so that they do not become the source for the spread of the contagion.

Authorities acknowledged the fact that opening the markets has fuelled a surge in the number of cases being reported across the country.

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) was the first in the country to make it mandatory for businesses (under six different heads) to undergo Covid-19 tests and obtain Covid-19 negative certificates before starting their businesses.

The decision in this regard was taken by AMC administrator Astik Kumar Pandey, towards the end of the strict lockdown that was imposed from July 10 to 18 in Aurangabad city. Since then, about 27,000 vendors, traders, businessmen and their employees have undergone the tests and about 1,750 have tested positive.

Pandey told TOI, “We were the first in the country to make it mandatory for six different categories of businesses to mandatorily undergo the Covid-19 test. Now, the Union health department is implementing it.”

He said early detection of cases has helped put a check on the further spread of the contagion. It has also helped the administration provide timely medical intervention, thus saving precious lives.

The civic body has categorically asked the staffers, management and owners of grocery stores, meat vendors, vegetable and fruit vendors, retailers, milkmen and traders to undergo the testing.