On Tuesday, an official informed that the Maharashtra Secretariat would remain shut for sanitisation on April 29 and April 30, after four housekeeping employees were diagnosed with the Wuhan Coronavirus. The same has been reiterated by the State Additional Chief Secretary (Services), Sitaram Kunte, in a circular.
Reportedly, the infected patients have been shifted to the isolation ward of a government-run hospital. While 3 of them tested positive on Sunday, one employee was diagnosed with the Chinese virus on Monday. Over 50 sanitation workers who work in the building had been placed under quarantine and tracing of people who have come in contact with them is underway.
#BREAKING – Four staffers test positive in Maharashtra Secretariat.
— CNNNews18 (@CNNnews18) April 28, 2020
Those who came in contact with the staffers have been quarantined.@radhika1705 with details.#IndiaFightsCOVID19 | #TotalLockdown | #StayHome pic.twitter.com/wxxO5eXuBl
The Maharastra Secretariat is functioning with fewer employees in light of the lockdown imposed in the wake of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak. It is important to mention that the Secretariat is being frequented by State politicians, several times a week.
Coronavirus Scare in other Government Institutions
On April 20, 125 families in the Rashtrapati Bhavan were asked to self-isolate after the daughter-in-law of a sanitation worker who lives in the same complex tested positive for the Wuhan Coronavirus. Earlier, the mother of the woman’s daughter-in-law had died of the Chinese virus infection and her funeral was attended by all family members. As such, 25 families that are within the same block of the Rashtrapati Bhavan have been kept under strict isolation while an additional 100 families have also been asked to self-isolate.
Earlier, a staff of Parliament house who was working as a housekeeper was found infected with the Wuhan Coronavirus. As per reports, there are 3,000 staffers in the Lok Sabha, among them, this has emerged as the first case. The staffer was not at work since the budget session was adjourned on March 23. “Approximately ten days ago, he fell ill and went to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital for check-ups including ECG. He was discharged on the same day,” an official said.
NITI Ayog shut for 48 hours too
Earlier today, the NITI Ayog building in Delhi was also shut for 48 hours after a director-level employee tested positive. The building will be shut for sanitisation. Healthcare workers are currently tracing the other employees who had come in contact with the concerned patient. An employee of the Supreme Court was tested positive for coronavirus too.
