Covid-19: Two officials of Ghazipur market test positive; to remain closed for 2 days

On April 24, a total of 300 shops were closed at Azadpur APMC, Asia’s biggest vegetable and fruit market, after the death of a trader who tested positive for Covid-19. So far, 18 Covid-19 cases have been reported from the Azadpur wholesale market.

The Delhi government on Thursday closed the Ghazipur fruit and vegetable wholesale market for two days after two officials of the market committee tested positive for Covid-19.

Wholesalers at Ghazipur vegetable market which has been seeing fewer buyers during the nationwide lockdown against coronavirus in New Delhi. (Mohd Zakir/HT File Photo)

Officials at the wholesale market, one of the largest in the region, said the closure was necessary to sanitise the area and control the spread of the coronavirus.

SP Gupta, chairman of the Ghazipur Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), said the market will remain closed for trading activities on Thursday and Friday.

“The deputy secretary and secretary of the market management committee tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday and Wednesday. We closed our office as soon as we came to know about the case on Tuesday. The mandi has been shut for two days from Thursday so that it can be thoroughly disinfected,” Gupta said.

There are around 10 officials of the market committee who had been in contact with the two Covid-19 patients. “All are in home quarantine and their samples will be taken on Thursday,” he said.

This is not the first time that Covid-19 cases have been reported from Delhi’s wholesale markets.

Delhi has so far recorded almost 8,000 infections and 106 deaths.