India News | EC to Follow COVID Safety Measures in Counting Centres: Official

Kolkata, Apr 20 (PTI) The Election Commission (EC) will follow all COVID-19 safety measures in centres selected for counting of votes amid a surge in coronavirus cases in West Bengal, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Besides sanitising the premises of the counting centres, the EC has planned to provide masks, face shields and sanitiser to counting agents, he said.

"As per the directive of the Calcutta High Court and the EC, we are planning to strictly follow the COVID-19 safety protocols. We have told district magistrates and election officials in the districts to take up all the arrangements at the counting centres," the official said.

"The tables at the counting centres will be placed keeping the proper distance. We will be working as per the suggestions of the EC," he said. Officials of the state Chief Electoral Officer's office held meetings with election officials in districts via video conference on Tuesday and discussed how to follow the COVID-19 safety protocols.

An eight-phase assembly election is being held in West Bengal between March 27 and April 29 and votes will be counted on May 2.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)