RESIDENTS of one of the largest villages in the country have volunteered to disinfect streets, supermarkets and public parks to limit the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, writes the GDN's Sandeep Singh Grewal.

The initiative launched by the A’ali Charity Society also involves identifying and allocating – in co-operation with health officials – a number of vacant apartment buildings to be used as quarantine for potential cases registered among villagers.

Volunteers are also distributing more than 400 multilingual pamphlets around A’ali as part of the increased efforts to combat the coronavirus disease.

A’ali Charity Society secretary general Hussain Al A’ali told the GDN that the three-day campaign to disinfect the village will end today.

“We are taking a wide range of measures in our village covering one block after another to prevent the outbreak of Covid-19,” he said.

“One of contingency measures is to allocate some flats and buildings to Covid-19 patients from our village, if there is a potential outbreak in our area.

“There are no confirmed Covid-19 case from our village as of now, but the plan is to deal with future cases by shifting patients to these dedicated buildings in order to contain the spread of the virus.

“The plan is being discussed with the Health Ministry and we will provide all facilities to the patients or their family members staying at this special quarantine centres.”

He explained that since Tuesday a dedicated team of volunteers from the village have been visiting different locations to disinfect streets, public places and shops.

“This is a three-day campaign that ends on Thursday, as we have covered so far public parks, gardens, supermarkets and shops,” he said.

“In addition, we distributed over 400 multilingual pamphlets in English, Hindi and Urdu about Covid-19 precautionary measures that were provided to us by the Health Ministry and the Labour and Social Development Ministry.”

Mr Al A’ali also revealed that the society has set up free home delivery services as all non-essential businesses will be closed starting from today until April 9, with the exception of hypermarkets, pharmacies, bakeries, cold stories and banks, while restaurants will only operate takeaway or delivery services.

In this regard the society has set up three hotlines – 36786702, 38889917 and 33080075 – for A’ali residents to contact for delivery of essential items.

“They can call us in the morning from 8am until 1pm and from 4pm until 8pm as we will deliver the items from bakeries, cold stories, fish shops and vegetable stores located inside the village,” added Mr Al A’ali.

Similar campaigns are also being launched by the Janusan Charity Society to provide free delivery services to villages from outlets based in their area, along with plans to disinfect the streets.

“We praise the efforts of the brave youth to disinfect the village and further request employers to ensure foreign workers do not gather outside,” the Janusan Charity Society in a statement.

“Everyone should stay indoors and call 444 if they show symptoms of the disease immediately.”

Operations to disinfect streets within residential neighbourhoods are also being carried out by volunteers from the Nuwaidrat Charity Society and the Dar Kulaib Charity Social Society.

The GDN reported last week that several charities across the country have teamed up to combat Covid-19 by voluntarily taking steps such as installing sanitisers in mosques and community centres and using their social media accounts to educate the masses with the help of doctors and clerics.