Chennai ED office hit by coronavirus

CHENNAI: At least 19 staff at Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Chennai has been tested positive for coronavirus and put under quarantine at their homes or hospitals in the city.

“Most of them are home quarantined and only some — with visible symptoms — are hospitalised,” sources said adding that all are doing ‘fine’. Sources indicated that despite the lockdown the ED office had been functioning.

However, it is not clear how almost the entire Chennai division of the Enforcement Directorate test positive for COVID-19.

Sources noted that one Additional Director, one Joint Director, four Assistant Directors, four Assistant Enforcement Officers along with nine other subordinate staff including drivers had so far tested positive in the ED office. While one of them has been hospitalised, the remaining are quarantined at home, they said.

Despite the pandemic, the headquarters of the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi had been insisting that the Chennai ED office work in full strength, sources claimed.

After the majority of the staff tested positive for the virus, the entire ED office building was disinfected and the office was sealed. The office is now functioning again with minimum staff and all those summoned for an enquiry has been informed and advised to take the test for COVID-19, sources added. It is possible that those who interacted with the ED officials before they had tested positive might have contracted the virus.