The Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday afternoon clarified reports in a section of the media about detection of COVID-19 positive cases in the President's Estate. "Till date, no employee of the President's Secretariat has tested positive for COVID-19," stated Dr Nimish Rustagi, the President's deputy press secretary, in a press statement.
He clarified that a COVID-19 positive patient from central Delhi, who died on April 13 at B.L. Kapoor Hospital, was neither an employee of the President's Secretariat nor a resident of the President's Estate. He added that after contact-tracing, it was found that a family member of an employee of the President's Secretariat had been in contact with the deceased. "The employee along with the family is a resident of Pocket 1, Schedule A area of the President's Estate," the statement said, adding that all the seven members of the family were moved to the quarantine facility at Mandir Marg on April 16 as per guidelines.
The President's Secretariat maintained that 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 added that following the instructions and guidelines of the authority designated under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, coupled with the 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 residents of these houses are being provided doorstep delivery of essential commodities. "It may be clarified that till date, no employee of the President's Secretariat has tested positive for COVID-19 and the Secretariat alongwith the local administration is taking all the preventive measures required under the government guidelines," the note stated.
Two days back, at least 26 sailors of Indian Navy were found COVID-19 positive at the Indian Navy's logistics depot at Mumbai bases Western Naval command. While making it clear that there were no cases of infection onboard ships and submarines, the Navy said that most of these cases were asymptomatic and were traced to a single sailor who was tested COVID positive on April 7.
