26-year-old woman who visited Malaysia, Indonesia tests positive
FIRST CASE IT staffer’s 70 colleagues, who were in contact with her, have been quarantined
CHANDIGARH: The 26-year-old woman who tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) on Monday had travelled to Malaysia and Indonesia a few days ago.
The health department spurred into action upon receiving the report and shifted the woman, who is a resident of Sector 9, Gurugram, to an isolation ward. Her family members and all those who came in contact with her have been put in quarantine. The woman, an employee of a technology firm in Sector 53, Gurugram, is currently admitted in the isolation ward of Fortis Hospital.
“Seventy employees were identified in her office, of which 32 are residents of Gurugram, 28 are from Delhi, nine from Uttar Pradesh and one from Faridabad. Gurugram employees are already in self-quarantine at home and they have remained asymptomatic till now. The list has been shared with neighbouring cities to ensure other employees are quarantined,” said senior state health official who preferred not to be named.
The official said that all the five family members of the patient— three women, one man and a three-month-old baby—have tested negative.
“A patient tested positive for Covid-19 and is undergoing treatment in the isolation ward of the hospital. She was shifted from the Civil Hospital on Monday morning,” confirmed an official from Fortis Hospital, who is privy to the matter.
The woman was admitted to the isolation ward of the Sector 10 Civil Hospital earlier this week after she showed signs and symptoms of heavy viral load. “The family decided to shift her to a private hospital Monday morning after they were told that she had tested positive for the novel coronavirus,” said chief medical officer Dr Jaswant Singh Puniam, who along with his rapid response team, was involved in the management of quarantined persons who alighted from a
European destination. “Samples of all people who came in contact with the patient have been sent to a lab in Pune,” a top doctor said.
DIRE NEED OF AWARENESS
The government has stepped up its efforts to raise awareness about Covid-19. Awareness drives will be held in offices for all employees – from the top to bottom rung – to check the spread of the contagion.
Chief secretary Keshni Anand Arora held a video conferencing with top officials on state, division and district levels and senior doctors of the health department and stressed on the need to focus on preventing the spread of Covid-19 by raising awareness.
She sought imparting of awareness on hygiene-centric etiquettes of coughing, sneezing, distancing and washing of hands among all employees.
‘ENSURE SANITISERS’ AVAILABILITY’
Arora also directed the district authorities to ensure the availability of medicines, masks, and sanitisers to the public at reasonable prices in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak.
She said officers and employees in offices should also be sensitised
about the pandemic and sanitisers should be made available in offices of all departments, mini-secretariats and other populated places.
HELPLINES SET UP
The government has set-up two helpline numbers 8558893911 and 108 where information regarding COVID-19 suspects in the state can be provided to authorities.