India seals second government building after employee tests positive for COVID-19

INDIA on Tuesday (28) sealed the office of its think-tank Niti Aayog in New Delhi after an employee tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

This is the second government building to be sealed a week after the ministry of civil aviation sealed its office at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan in New Delhi.

Niti Aayog, headed by CEO Amitabh Kant, is also tasked with leading the empowered groups formed by the union government to deal with the pandemic.

“Niti Aayog is following all protocols as per the ministry of health guidelines. The building has been sealed. Sanitisation of the building is underway,” a senior Niti Aayog official said.

Contacts of the person, who got his report on Tuesday morning, have been asked to go on self-quarantine, the official said, adding that the office will be sealed for two-three days as per “prescribed protocol”.

On April 22, the ministry of ministry of civil aviation sealed its headquarters after an employee tested positive for Covid-19. The civil aviation ministry staffer was the first person in a central ministry to have contracted the infection. The office reopened on Monday.

According to home ministry guidelines issued after the extension of the national lockdown until May 3, the government has ordered a phased return to office of central government ministry officials.

The new guidelines call for 100 per cent attendance by officers above the deputy secretary level and 33 per cent attendance by junior staff.

India announced lockdown on March 25 for 21 days, and then extended by 19 days till May 3.