A Supreme Court judge and his family in Delhi have been quarantined after one of their in-house staff was tested positive for the coronavirus.
According to the reports, the cook at the residence of a Supreme Court justice was tested positive today after he was referred to a hospital following a complaint of body ache and mild fever. The cook was reportedly on leave since May 7.
However, there is no information yet regarding the identity of the affected Supreme Court judge, who has been quarantined.
“The cook had taken leave to attend some function at his daughter’s place. He had been absent from the judge’s residence since May 7. Today his son called up the judge’s residence and reported that his father has been admitted to hospital and that he has been found coronavirus positive,” Times of India reported quoting a source.
However, it is unclear whether the cook was asymptomatic while working at the judge’s residence prior to May 7 or whether he caught the infection while attending the function at his daughter’s place. The contact-tracing of the concerned infected employee is being carried out, they said.
Judge and his family to be quarantined for next 10 days
As a preventive measure, the judge and his family have been advised to stay quarantined for the next 10 days. Reportedly, the family members had no contact with the cook for the last seven days.
Speaking to Times of India, the quarantined Supreme Court judge said “I am fine. I and my family will self-quarantine ourselves for the next week or so and will scrupulously abide by the medical advice”.
The Delhi police personnel who were employed in the security detail of the judge and family will also be quarantined as they might have come in the contact with the cook at the judge’s residence.
In addition to that, there are at least two suspected cases of corona positive cases among Supreme Court employees. As per the TOI report, one has tested negative now, the other person’s grandmother has succumbed to co-morbidities after getting infected. Five members of the latter employee’s family have also tested positive.
Amidst the coronavirus lockdown, the Supreme Court has been conducting hearings via videoconferencing from respective judges’ residence. Only single-judge benches have started to hear the cases, while petitioners can continue to appear through videoconference, the lawyers will resume arguing from their chambers starting next week.
