Four more Paytm employees tested for Covid-19, 91 under lens

A day after a Paytm-Gurugram employee tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19), the district rapid response team collected samples of four more Paytm

A day after a Paytm-Gurugram employee tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19), the district rapid response team collected samples of four more Paytm employees who were in close contact with the 26-year-old.

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The Delhi resident, who contracted the Covid-19 virus, had recently traveled to Italy and is admitted in the Safdarjung Hospital. “Samples of four people who worked closely with the Paytm employee detected positive for Covid-19 have been sent to AIIMS-Delhi for testing. All four people reside in Gurugram,” said Dr Jaswant Singh Punia, chief medical officer.

On Wednesday night, the district administration received a list of 91 Paytm employees for surveillance. “Of the 91 employees, 71 live in Gurugram, 18 in Delhi, and 1 each in Faridabad and Noida. Our team has contacted them and advised them to self-quarantine. They will be under observation and samples will be tested only if symptoms appear. We have reached out to health officials in Delhi, Noida and Faridabad,” Punia said.

State additional chief secretary, health department, Rajiv Arora, said the state had contacted his family in Delhi and all his colleagues. “We have deputed one team, headed by one medical officer, on every 10 Paytm employees and their families; they are being monitored for symptoms. So far, none of them has shown any,” Arora said.

After the company that announced that it had shut its offices in Gurugram and Noida due to a confirmed case of coronavirus, Punia and his response team visited the Paytm office at 1am Thursday. They screened the office and workstation of the coronavirus patient.

“At 7am Thursday, the office was sanitised with a disinfectant. A chemical solution mixed with water was sprayed and the office has been closed,” said one of the rapid response team members’ privy to the matter.

Paytm spokesperson on Thursday said, “We are closely working with the health authorities to take preventive measures to ensure the safety of our colleagues. We have also advised everyone to take the necessary precautions and inform us if they require medical attention. Our Gurugram office will remain closed for up to 15 days; Noida office will open Monday. We are hopeful that our colleague will recover soon.”

ITALIAN TOURISTS SHIFTED TO MEDANTA HOSPITAL

Meanwhile, The Medanta Hospital placed 14 Italian tourists, who were lodged at ITBP’s Chhawla Camp earlier, in their isolated quarantine floor on Wednesday night. According to Medanta spokesperson, the hospital has received, at the special request of the government, 14 asymptomatic people suspected to have contracted Covid-19.

“These patients are housed on a separate floor (isolated quarantine floor) with no contact with the rest of the hospital. There is a dedicated medical team, wearing protective gear, looking after these patients. All items used on this floor are isolated to that floor. The floor will completely contain the disease even with asymptomatic people. All other hospital operations are going on as normal and there is no increased risk to patients, visitors or staff,” the spokesperson said.

Punia said that to strengthen preparedness, an extra 10-bed isolation ward has been set up in Sector 31 polyclinic. “The department has set up a 20-bed isolation ward in Civil Hospital, Sector 10 while 70- bed isolation rooms with 52 ventilators have been prepared in 12 private hospitals empanelled by the district administration for coronavirus patients in the district,” said Punia.