A number of elderly couples who hire domestic help from help centres are opting for 24-hour deals to minimise the employees’ exposure to other people, a precautionary measure against Covid-19.
Most of these couples, whose lives revolve around domestic help, would earlier hire help for 12 hours to manage household chores and get odd jobs done. With a rise in the number of Covid cases in Calcutta and North 24-Parganas after Diwali, most are opting for a monthly contract. While an 11-hour package costs around Rs 360 a day, a 24-hour deal costs around Rs 13,000 a month.
A 24-hour contract will ensure that the help does not have to leave at the end of the day’s work and expose herself to Covid carriers.
“We used to hire help for half a day. She (the help) would come around 8am, do all the household work and leave by 8pm,” said Tridib Narayan Bose of Bhowanipore. “The woman stays in Joynagar, South 24-Parganas. She has been visiting us again since the resumption of suburban trains. We have asked the agency through which we hired her for a full-time engagement and have got her tested for Covid-19.”
Domestic help comprise a considerable chunk of the people who arrive in the city daily by suburban trains.
Over the last few weeks, more than 800 people have been testing positive for Covid-19 daily in Calcutta, the highest among all districts in the state. North 24-Parganas follows close behind.
While the arrival of domestic help from districts following the resumption of suburban trains has made life easier for elderly couples and others who depend on them, it has brought fresh challenges. A few days back, a couple in Lake Town tested positive for the coronavirus within four days of hiring a help.
“All my clients are now opting for the 24-hour package,” said Narayan Maity of Bijoli Seba Centre. “They do not want to risk their lives by allowing the staff to return home at night.”
Several “centres” have started screening their staff before sending them to clients.
“We check the body temperature and oxygen saturation levels every day of those who are pre-booked,” said Ranjit Naskar of Sova Aya Centre of Ballygunge.
A few others, however, said it was up to the clients to screen the help.