BBMP says no to pasting stickers on COVID-19 patients’ houses in Bengaluru

BBMP said no to pasting stickers on COVID-19 patients’ homes to stop stigma. Neighbours of infected patients will be informed personally.

Bengaluru: Just a few weeks after banning the use of barricades around individual containment zones, the BBMP is now moving to stop posting stickers in front of homes indicating houses inhabited by COVID-19 patients.

The step was taken to stop stigma as people who pass in front of the inhabited homes see the residents with a rather negative opinion.

BBMP commissioner N Manjunath Prasad said on Wednesday that ‘BBMP has dropped posting stickers in front of the homes indicating houses inhabited by COVID-19 patients. Instead, BBMP will inform neighbours of a COVID case to ensure that the residents are aware of the situation”.

The commissioner also mentioned that a letter has been written to the state government in this regard to pass the order on stopping the process of stickers in front of houses.

Manjunath further added that “Earlier BBMP would barricade the area and there were some incidents where some of the staff have put metal sheets and iron rods blocking entry to other houses. Since it was not the standard operating procedure, BBMP has stopped barricading houses and it was decided that if more than three houses are inhabited by COVID-19 patients within 100-metre radius then the area would be barricaded.

It is reported that out of the 17,159 houses inhabited by COVID-19 patients, not all have been barricaded and only 1,018 areas where more than three houses have patients within a 100-metre radius have been barricaded until now.