Noida authority administrative office shuts two sections after 3 test positive

The Noida authority’s main administrative building located in Sector 6 shut down two of its sections—commercial and accounts—after one officer and two other employees

The Noida authority’s main administrative building located in Sector 6 shut down two of its sections—commercial and accounts—after one officer and two other employees tested positive for Covid-19.

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The senior officer was part of the commercial department and the two employees were from the department of accounts.

“The three tested positive, so we closed the sections concerned. The office shall remain closed over the weekend after intense sanitisation today (Thursday) evening and will reopen on Monday,” Ritu Maheshwari, the chief executive officer of the Noida authority, said.

Health authorities took samples from the three employees on Tuesday after they experienced some symptoms. The reports arrived on Thursday evening.

“We sanitised the commercial and accounts departments immediately after the three tested positive,” Maheshwari said.

The authority’s Sector 6 administrative building comprises two floors. The commercial department is located on the ground floor just next to the main entry.

The health department is tracing all family members and colleagues who could have come in contact with these three. These three are the first cases reported from the Noida authority that takes care of the city’s development and civic affairs. The Noida authority’s health department s engaged in sanitisation work in all sectors where Covid-19 cases are reported from. The authority also has to deliver essential services including milk, grocery, medicine and vegetables.

Around 5,000 members of staff, including sanitisation employees and those involved in waste management, have been demanding random tests to determine if any of them were infected so that they could be treated.

“The health department will take appropriate action on the employees’ demand,” Suhas LY, district magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar, said.

The Noida employees association (NEA), which has also been demanding random tests, has requested for camps to be set up.

“We have been requesting the health officials for random tests. Since three persons have now tested positive, we demand that the health department set up camps to test staff,” Dharmendra Sharma, vice-president of NEA, said.

Dr Deepak Ohri, the chief medical officer, said, “We will follow protocol and take suitable action on the issue.”