Coronavirus: Apartments are at forefront of fight against COVID-19

From home-delivering groceries to making sure neighbours have their daily supply of milk sachets, the city’s apartment dwellers are going out of their way to help those in self-quarantine.

Among other measures to curtail the spread of coronavirus, apartments are constantly sanitising lifts, have curbed access to pools and gyms, besides providing gloves and masks to security personnel. They have also stopped delivery boys from entering the premises.

Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

When two families arriving from the United Kingdom were home quarantined at an apartment in Brookefield, its residents’ association acted quickly by issuing a set of guidelines, while also offering the support needed to the quarantined families.

“The family kept in touch constantly,” said a resident in the building. “They shared their itinerary and assured us they would not come out. It has been over 10 days now. We have not seen a single member of the family outside ever since.”

One of the families even have a child at home, where they have reserved a room with an attached bathroom for him to stay put, the resident added. “Their behavior is something everyone should follow,” the resident said.

The immediate neighbours of the quarantined families have formed a WhatsApp group along with the association to keep them entertained and deliver their daily essentials, besides making sure they were present to address any emergencies.

Some apartment associations in the area have formed WhatsApp groups to address rumours about positive cases in the area and minimise panic.

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An apartment in Malleswaram has been taking precautions for the past 10 days, right from security guards checking the visitors’ body temperature with thermal guns at the entry point to providing hand sanitisers.

A prominent apartment in the city, belonging to the Brigade Group, has 13 blocks, 1,255 flats and approximately 5,000 residents.

Estate manager Manjunath told DH that the apartment has closed down the swimming pool and the tennis court. “The elevator buttons are covered with tapes and awareness messages are pasted at the entry point of each elevator,”
he said.

Vikram Rai, general secretary, Bangalore Apartments Federation, said 21 clusters of the federation have identified a member each to head the Covid-19 activities in their areas in line with the BBMP directives. Rai said the group is in touch with suppliers of masks and sanitisers to check the stocks in case of a need, while also asking the residents to not hoard them.