HCL employee in Noida tests positive for Covid-19, cases in UP reach 19

Another case of coronavirus positive case - an employee at HCL Technologies - emerged in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 19.

“One employee from our Noida office has tested positive for coronavirus while he was in self-isolation after his return from international travel. Our office is following all government and heath advisory protocols,” HCL Technologies said in a statement.

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A person in his early thirties was found positive for coronavirus disease Covid-19 in Noida on Wednesday, the fourth case in the district. The identified person had travelled to Indonesia along with his wife.

On Tuesday, two persons were found positive for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) in sector 100 and 78 of Noida after which all the residents living in the same premises were asked to quarantine themselves. Both the societies have restricted entry of outsiders.

Meanwhile, two more people have tested positive in Lucknow, said Sudhir Singh, Covid-19 isolation ward in-charge at King George’ Medical University, as reported by news agency ANI. A doctor at Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow’s leading hospital, who was part of the team attending to suspected and positive coronavirus patients, had tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday.

After Thursday’s development, Lucknow now has five positive cases; there are eight Covid-19 positive cases in Agra, two in Ghaziabad and four in Noida.

Uttar Pradesh has, as a precaution, ordered schools, gyms, swimming pools, cinema halls, multiplexes and anganwadi centres to remain closed.

UP health minister Jai Pratap Singh has warned of strict action, including jail, for those who do not cooperate in the state’s efforts to control the coronavirus outbreak and spread misinformation or rumours to create panic in the society.

“We will take action against any suspect if he/she refuses to get tested or runs away from authorities. Action will also be taken against any person who tries to hide such patients, misleads or obstructs the health team from conducting its duty. If required, offenders will also be sent to jail as per the law,” the health minister said.

Singh said the concerned authorities had been given power under section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act to take all necessary actions in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.