3 mining offices of different districts sealed as 3 test +ve
JAMSHEDPUR: The mining offices in East Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan and West Singhbhum districts were sealed on Saturday with 17 persons and West Singhbhum DC, SP and DDC home quarantined after three mining officers from the three districts tested positive on Thursday and Friday night, officials said on Saturday.
“Two more persons have tested positive for Covid-19 after coming in contact with a district official who had tested positive in Jamshedpur on July 2. They have been admitted to Covid-19 care centre while their residential areas have been declared containment zones,” Arava Rajkamal, West Singhbhum DC, said.
The DC, SP Indrajit Mahatha and DDC Aditya Ranjan have self-quarantined themselves, while 17 workers have also been quarantined. The DC said the mining officer from Jamshedpur had visited Noamundi and Bara Jamda on June 16 for work.
“All those who came in his contact during his six-hour stay there have been identified, of which two tested positive on Saturday. A meeting of the district mining task force was held on June 27 in which all senior district officials were present. Their samples were collected and all of them have tested negative,” said Rajkamal.
On June 29, many district officials, deputy mines director and two mining officers from two other districts were also present during the auction of seized sand in Chaibasa. “All the officials from West Singhbhum have tested negative. Further contact tracing is on,” the DC said.
The mining officers from East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan were also present during the sand auction. They have now tested positive for Covid-19, following which mining offices in Jamshedpur and Seraikela were sealed on Saturday. The Chaibasa mining office was sealed on Friday after an officer had tested positive on Thursday night.
“The district mining officer had visited the district collectorate on Thursday but didn’t participate in any meeting. But, we have put some district employees in quarantine,” Ravishankar Shukla, Jamshedpur (East Singhbhum) DC, said.
Five district employees, the DC’s personal assistant, three orderlies and a PRO, have been quarantined. Apart from the district mining officer, his driver also tested positive. Nine workers from the mining office, including a mining inspector, have been quarantined.
Seraikela-Kharsawan DC A Dode said one officer from the district mining office tested positive after samples of all the mining office employees were tested following the Chaibasa mining officer testing positive.
Barring the district mining officer, all others have tested negative. “All these officials and workers had attended the inauguration ceremony of the district geology office on June 26,” said Dode.
THE DC, SP AND DDC HAVE QUARANTINED THEMSELVES, WHILE 17 WORKERS HAVE ALSO BEEN QUARANTINED