NDMC HQ shut for 2 days after 6 cases
nNEWDELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) headquarters — Palika Kendra, located near Connaught Place — was on Thursday sealed for 48 hours after six people in the building tested positive for Covid-19 in 24 hours. All the staff have been asked to work from home for two days until the building is completely sanitised.
According to NDMC official, as many as six employees — including a joint director-level official — have tested Covid-19 positive in the last 24 hours.
The administration has ordered a sanitisation drive in the building three times a day and contact tracing of all patients.
“On Wednesday, the sixth floor of the building was sealed after three employees tested Covid-19 positive. Later that day, three more staffers tested positive, prompting the decision to seal the headquarter building for 48 hours so that it could be sanitised properly,” a district administration official said.
The official said that those who were in close contact with the infected employees have been directed to home quarantine.
“The sampling can only be done after they start showing symptoms of Covid. The employees, for now, have been instructed to report to district administration officials in case they show any symptoms,” the administration official said.
In the last two months, as many as nine officials and employees of NDMC have tested Covid-19 positive. Last week, the civic body had shut its Palika dispensary — located in the NDMC headquarters — after a doctor working there had tested positive for the virus
According to NDMC officials, the 21-floor Palika Kendra building houses around 24 departments of the municipality. As many as 3,000 NDMC staff work in the building—including the NDMC chairman and secretary s.
“Alternate arrangement has been made to operate the control and command centre from some other place for 48 hours. Security offices and server rooms will be opened on Saturday, while the building will be completely reopened again only on Monday,” an NDMC official said.