Covid-19 outbreak: 16 high-risk contacts linked to pizza delivery boy test negative in south Delhi

The people will be sent home only after they test negative a second time on the completion of their mandatory 14-day quarantine period, the officials said, adding that no one in the 72 households the man had recently delivered food to showed any flu-like symptoms.

Sixteen people who were in direct contact with a food delivery person from south Delhi who is suffering from Covid-19 have tested negative for coronavirus, but will remain in institutional quarantine in a facility in Chhatarpur, according to government officials involved in containing the spread of the coronavirus disease.

While larger food delivery chains and essential supplies providers have strict processes to ensure the safety of their deliveries, smaller firms may fall below the radar, prompting government officials to consider drafting standardised norms.

The people will be sent home only after they test negative a second time on the completion of their mandatory 14-day quarantine period, the officials said, adding that no one in the 72 households the man had recently delivered food to showed any flu-like symptoms.

“We had identified 16 high-risk persons linked to the delivery person from Malviya Nagar, and have kept them under institutional quarantine. The test results of all the 16 persons, including the owner of the food joint where the delivery executive worked, have come negative,” district magistrate (south) BM Mishra said.

“None of the low-risk contacts to whom the infected person had delivered food over the past month have shown any symptoms so far. But they will continue to be under home quarantine; they’re being strictly monitored,” he added.

The delivery person, who tested positive on April 14, is being treated at the Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality hospital in Tahirpur.

According to the police, he is an employee of Box 8, and the last order he delivered was a pizza from the kitchen of the adjoining restaurant MOJO Pizza, also located in the same building in Malviya Nagar. Police said that apart from serving its own menu, Box 8 has a tie-up with multiple food chains.

While larger food delivery chains and essential supplies providers have strict processes to ensure the safety of their deliveries, smaller firms may fall below the radar, prompting government officials to consider drafting standardised norms.

Mishra said the delivery person had not been feeling well for nearly a month.

In a statement on its official Twitter account on April 16, Box 8 had said: “After all precautions and vigilance, in an unfortunate turn of events, a delivery partner of our Malviya Nagar kitchen in south Delhi has tested COVID positive yesterday….The delivery partner has been keeping well and getting the required medical attention. All his co-workers have been quarantined and we have shut down the Malviya Nagar kitchen in South Delhi for the next 14 days.”