Image credit: mohamed Hassan (Pixabay)
Following concerns regarding the growing number of COVID-19 positive patients among the diamond workers, the diamond cutting and polishing sector of Surat has worked out a new protocol to fight the spread of COVID-19.
Since re-opening operations, around 300 positive cases have been reported from the diamond polishing units. Under the new protocol, every polishing unit will have only two workers working on them instead of the usual four.
In the case one worker reports positive from a certain floor in multi-storied polishing units, the entire floor will be quarantined for a week. And in case of more than three workers reporting COVID positive, the entire unit will be shut down for a week.
On the other hand, single-storied units will be shut for a day with one worker reporting positive. Also, workers with hypertension, diabetes or above fifty-five years of age will not be asked to work. The diamond market, as well as the safety vault, will remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Recently, the managers of diamond units emerged as the super spreaders among the workers as they are the ones who distribute packets of diamonds to the polishers and thus come in contact with a large group of people. Diamond unit owners were asked to sanitize the packets before giving them to workers.
Aruna Gaitonde, Editor in Chief of the Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished
