Ggm records second case of coronavirus

THE PATIENT WORKS IN A TRADING FIRM; RAPID RESPONSE TEAM TO SCREEN 540 OF HIS COLLEAGUES

GURUGRAM: A 29-year-old Delhi resident, who works at a trading firm in the city’s Udyog Vihar, tested positive for the novel coronavirus (Covid -19) on Friday, following which the district rapid response team started reaching out to more than 540 employees in the building to screen them for symptoms.

The man had travelled to Thailand and Malaysia last month and is currently receiving his treatment at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.

The patient, who is a resident of Uttam Nagar in Delhi and works as a company secretary at the firm in Udyog Vihar Phase-1, is the 31st confirmed case of Covid-19 in the country.

“Based on the information provided by the Delhi team of the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme(idsp), we are contacting the employees of the trading firm where the patient worked,” said Dr Jaswant Singh Punia, chief medical officer.

Punia said the patient left for Thailand on February 7 and stayed there until February 13. From there, he moved to Malaysia and reached Delhi on February 17.

“On February 18, he visited the Gurugram office for only two hours and left,” said Punia. “On March 4, he gave his samples for testing in Delhi that tested positive on Friday,” he said.

Earlier this week, an employee of Paytm in Gurugram was tested positive for coronavirus after which the company closed its office for 15 days. The trading firm has also closed its premises at least till March 11, a spokesperson confirmed.

“As a precautionary step to prevent contamination, we have closed the office and asked our employees to work from home till March 11. Considering the situation, we might extend the dates further,” he said.

“Our colleague didn’t come to office after February 18 as we have asked him to refrain from doing so because of his health condition. At that time, we had got the office sanitised. Now, since the case has been confirmed, the office will be sanitised again and remain closed for a few days, following the directives by the health department,” the spokesperson said.

The rapid response team on Friday evening received the list of more than 540 employees from the firm. “We have been contacting them over the phone to know their health condition. We might visit them if we trace any suspected case,” said one of the rapid response team members.

Rajiv Arora, Haryana’s additional chief secretary, health department,said, “We are taking constant updates from our team in Gurugram and the next course of action would be decided accordingly.”

CM APPEALS FOR CALM

Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar urged citizens not to panic and maintain calm. He said that the Haryana government is attentive and alert about the disease and that the confirmed cases were being monitored closely. Khattar was in the city to attend the 3rd Young Superintendents of Police Conference.