Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

Inmates, staff quarantine­d as UT shelter home’s sweeper infected

- Srishti Jaswal srishti.jaswal@htlive.com ■

CHANDIGARH: As many as 33 inmates of Aashreya, a permanent home for orphaned, destitute, abandoned and differentl­y abled persons situated in Sector 47 in Chandigarh, were quarantine­d on the premises on Thursday after a woman working as a sweeper there tested positive for coronaviru­s disease.

Besides, around 40 staffers of the shelter home have been isolated at the Government Rehabilita­tion Institute for Intellectu­al Disabiliti­es (GRIID), Sector 31, said Preeti Arun, joint director of GRIID.

“At Aashreya, inmates are quarantine­d in cubicles consisting of four beds with attached washrooms,” said Arun, adding that arrangemen­ts had been made for staff in GRIID classrooms with attached washrooms as the school was already shut because of the lockdown.

GRIID staff is now doubling up to keep the shelter home running.

The woman sweeper who has tested positive is the sister and a primary contact of the OT attendant of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, who had attended his marriage anniversar­y party at Bapu Dham.

Arun said, “Resident of Sector 52, the woman had herself told us on April 24 that her brother had tested positive. After that, we asked her not to report to work, and immediatel­y prepared a fresh duty roster for the staff. There was another staffer who was in contact with a suspected patient. ”

Arun said, “We have requested the administra­tion to send a team of doctors to take samples of inmates in the shelter home itself. They will be tested tomorrow.”

UT director health services G Dewan and GMCH directorpr­incipal Dr BS Chavan could not be contacted for comments.

 ?? HT PHOTO ?? As many as 33 inmates including the differentl­y abled have been quarantine­d at the shelter home in Sector 47, Chandigarh.
HT PHOTO As many as 33 inmates including the differentl­y abled have been quarantine­d at the shelter home in Sector 47, Chandigarh.

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