Even as a number of health workers across the national capital have got coronavirus infection, the Delhi government has directed all healthcare facilities in the city on "rational" use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

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The Health Department order dated May 16 read: "All healthcare facilities operating in Delhi, including hospitals, nursing homes, dispensaries, clinics and COVID care centres etc run by the government of Delhi or private sector are hereby directed to follow the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare guidelines dated May 15 for the rational use of PPE in accordance with the risk involved," the order said while sharing the guidelines.

The guidelines divide different areas in a hospital into low, moderate and high risk categories. The entry point help desk or registration counter, driving ambulance, healthcare staff working at quarantine facility, and temperature recording station were marked low risk zones, requiring only triple-layer medical masks and gloves with a minimum distance of one metre.

The screening area or help desk and registration counter and temperature recording station for the OPD; doctors's chamber used for clinical management of patients, sanitary staff and pharmacy counters among others have been marked in the moderate-risk category. The health workers were asked to wear N-95 masks and gloves.

Full complement of PPE is only required in high-risk zone -- attending to severely ill patients at the entry point; in ICU/centres for providing critical care or dealing with death bodies; and sample collection and transportation and sample testing.