One COVID-19 Case Reported In Rashtrapati Bhavan Premises, 115 Families Go Into Quarantine

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said one positive case was found at Rashtrapati Bhavan premises

Updated on: 21 April 2020 2:22 pm

A positive case of coronavirus has been detected in the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises in New Delhi leading to over a hundred families living there to go into quarantine.

"One case has been found there (in Rashtrapati Bhavan)," Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain was quoted as saying on Tuesday by ANI.

As many as 115 families residing at the President's Estate are under self-isolation as a preventive measure after a sanitation worker's relative tested positive for coronavirus, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique issued Tuesday.

"It may be clarified that till date no employee of the President's secretariat has tested positive for COVID-19 and the secretariat along with the local administration is taking all the preventive measures required under the government guidelines," it said.

A COVID-19 positive patient from central Delhi, who was neither an employee of the President's secretariat nor a resident of the President's Estate, died on April 13, 2020, with co-morbidities at the B L Kapoor Hospital in New Delhi, the statement said.

After contact tracing of the deceased, it was found that a family member of an employee of the President's secretariat had been in contact with the deceased, it said.

The employee along with the family are residents of Pocket 1, schedule A area of the President's Estate.

As required under the guidelines, all the seven members of this family were moved to the quarantine facility at Mandir Marg on April 16, the statement said.

"Subsequently, one of the family members who was in contact with the deceased tested positive. All other family members including the employee of the President's secretariat have tested negative," it said.

Following the instructions and guidelines of the authority designated under the Disaster Management Act 2005, read with Epidemic Diseases Act 1897, 115 houses in Pocket 1, schedule A area of the President's Estate were identified for movement restriction and residents have been advised to remain indoors, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

"The residents of these houses are being provided doorstep delivery of essential commodities," it added.

Delhi currently has 2,081 cases of COVID-19. As many as 47 people have died due to the virus in the national capital, according to Health Ministry data.