Three more persons have tested positive for the highly contagious virus that causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Noida, pushing the total number of cases in the district to 14 by Thursday morning. The three new cases have been linked back to the Noida firm that was visited by a British national earlier this month.
The British national was in Noida from 15-19 March before heading back home in the UK, a Noida administration official said, adding that the man may have been a carrier of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen.
Healthcare officials have so far identified 19 people who came in contact with the foreign national and are being tested. Two executives of the Noida fire safety firm appear to have contracted the infection from the foreigner at work and spread it at home, an official said.
Of the three new cases confirmed on Thursday is a 19-year-old.
Her father works at this firm in Sector 135. But he did not have any symptoms. His wife, 47, who is believed to have contracted the infection from him, however, fell ill. The couple was tested and found to be infected with the SARS CoV-2 pathogen on March 24. The daughter was also tested with them; her results, however, came today.
The family has been admitted to the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) in Greater Noida.
A health department official said a second couple from Sector 150 has also tested positive for the virus after the husband came in contact with the same Briton at work. The 39-year-old man and his wife, 33, live in an apartment block of Noida’s Sector 150.
The couple will be admitted at the Super Speciality Children Hospital in Sector 30, Noida.
The health department has sealed the Sector 150 society for two days and all the residents have been quarantined.
Officials are now getting in touch with all the residents to identify neighbours who came in contact with the couple.
The health department is going to put around 150 employees of the company visited by the British nation under home quarantine.
Officials have also sealed the Sector 135 hotel where the British national stayed during his visit. Employees of the hotel who came in contact with the British national are being put under home quarantine and the premises sanitized.
According to the officials, 19 persons had come in direct contact with the British national.
“We are getting in touch with all the 150 employees attached with the firm to put them under home quarantine. We will also be sanitizing the hotel where the British national stayed. We are tracing all the people who came in contact with the British national and the identified patients from sectors 137 and 150. We will take samples of people who will be found symptomatic,” said Dr Anurag Bhargava, Chief Medical Officer.
Administration officials have reached the Sector 150 society to start the sanitizing work of the premises and the building where the patients live.
“We have sealed the society as per the protocol and residents have been asked to home quarantine themselves. We are trying to find out people who came in contact with the couple,” said Prasoon Dwivedi, sub-divisional magistrate.
