Punjab govt issues new SOPs for small and medium businesses

Punjab government on Monday issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) businesses.

According to the new SOPs issued by the Punjab Secretary for Primary and Secondary Health retired Captain Muhammad Usman, shops are supposed to provide hand washing or sanitisation equipment to customers on-site.

“Employees are supposed to wash their hands frequently and cashiers are only to only handle cash while wearing plastic gloves while surfaces that are touched often should be cleaned repeatedly with 0.05 per cent chlorine solution.”

Dustbins should be provided at shops for people to dispose of their used masks and tissues and customers should not be allowed to touch the weight measure e.t.c at the shop while in case of wearable items, customers should not be allowed to try items on before purchase and customers should not be allowed to return or exchange purchased items.

It has been instructed that everyone should cover their mouth and nose with either a tissue or their elbow while sneezing.

“A limited number of people can enter shops at a time, so that they can remain three feet apart and there should be markings showing 3-foot distance outside shops and at the cash counter so that people know where to stand,” health department SOPs stated.

Shops should actively try to wind transactions up fast and customers should not be allowed to enter small shops while handshakes and hugging are prohibited.

There are strict orders for older citizens who should avoid going to shops, be it in the form of shopkeepers or customers. If an elderly customer does come to a shop, they should be entertained on a priority basis.

“At medical stores, shopkeepers should keep surgical masks on at all times and shopkeepers should not touch the medical prescriptions brought in by customers while sales counters should be enclosed in plastic sheets”

As per the SOPs, customers should avoid touching items on display, if an item is touched, it should be cleaned with a disinfectant and at repair shops shopkeepers should disinfect items they take in as well as return.