6 customs officers in Mumbai test positive for Covid-19

Six customs officers have been tested positive for coronavirus in the past one week.

Six customs officers have been tested positive for coronavirus in the past one week.

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Three of them, including a deputy commissioner of customs, are from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), Nhava Sheva. He last reported to work on May 12 and was under home quarantine after he developed symptoms. On May 20, his test results came positive, said senior officials from the customs department.

A commissioner and an assistant commissioner working with the air cargo at Sahar have also been tested positive for coronavirus.

According to the internal communication accessed by the paper, the commissioner has been admitted to Apollo Hospital in Navi Mumbai and is responding well to the treatment, while the assistant commissioner has been quarantined at home.

“All the officers who had worked with the duo have been asked to remain in isolation at home,” said a source, privy to the information.

An officer deployed with the directorate general of vigilance (DGoV) department in the new customs house at Fort, too, has been found to be infected with the virus.

Some customs officers have alleged that their seniors have insisted them to report to work, despite the fact that they can work from home.

“Officers involved in active clearance of cargo have to report to work. However, those posted in the ancillary sections [which do not are not considered as essential services under the Centre’s guidelines] are also being asked to report to work,” a senior customs officers has alleged.

Earlier, a sepoy posted at the new customs house had died on April 11 at Kasturba Hospital due to coronavirus. The sepoy had got infected from his father who worked at Saifee Hospital.