Employee at Civil Secretariat test positive for Covid-19
Sanitization carried out on entire floor, several employees quarantined
Srinagar: An orderly posted in Civil Secretariat, the highest seat of the government here, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
A senior officer and some staffers have already gone in self-quarantine as soon as news about the orderly testing positive was communicated by the health authorities.
Sources said that the orderly, a resident of Mansbal, had carried dusting etc in the office of the Director Expenditure on Sunday, a day before Darbar Move offices opened here. He had also visited the office next and carried his job despite instructions by the concerned authorities who had told him not to visit the office as he showed up symptoms normally associated with the disease.
When contacted Tariq Khan, Director Expenditure, said that the orderly’s brother is battling cancer and is admitted at Super Specialty Hospital Shreenbagh and “he would visit him regularly.”
“He was told to not come to the office already. As a precautionary measure, I have gone for self-quarantine,” he said.
The Director said that on inquiring into reasons for him visiting the secretariat despite instructions it has come to fore that he was following the case of his brother, a cancer patient, for monetary assistance.
This is the first case when any employee at the secretariat has tested positive. Following it, Srinagar Municipal Corporation carried out sanitization at third and fourth of the large building which also houses among others the offices of lieutenant governor, his advisors besides top bureaucrats.
A disinfection drive was carried out in the secretariat building, which houses offices of the top brass of administration and bureaucracy of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary dismissed reports in some sections of the media about the Civil Secretariat being closed.
“I have just returned from there. We had one positive case from there. The particular floor was cleared and disinfected following due protocols,” he added.
A senior officer at the secretariat said that immediate measures were required to be taken for the safety of others.
“The CRPF personnel posted at the entrance would frisk every individual. The employee would have roamed around while visiting the secretariat,” he said, adding, “The government needs to move swiftly to see who needed to be isolated in wake of the incident.” Disinfection drive at Srinagar Civil Secretariat after employee tests positive for COVID-19
The employee, a resident of the Safapora area in Ganderbal district, was found COVID-positive on Wednesday, prompting the authorities to clear the floor where he was working, they said. (with PTI, GNS inputs)
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