COVID-19 hits Zee Media headquarters in Noida; building sealed

Zee Media, which has been reeling under the COVID-19 crisis since May 15, has been sealed after six fresh cases were reported on Sunday.

The five-story building was sealed between 11 pm and 11:30 pm on Sunday after the evening shift ended and night shift was to be started, said an employee working in the Noida Sector-16 based office of Zee Media Corporation Limited. The building was sealed following a letter issued from Gautam Budh Nagar District Surveillance officer.

“Based on findings of new positive case in different floor of the building, the possibility of spread of the disease (coronavirus or COVID-19) in other parts of the building the entire building has been sealed/closed for sanitization and containment of the disease as per the Epidemic Disease, COVID-19 Regulation, 2020,” an official release from the administration said. The closure process was undertaken in the presence of Chief Medical Officer Gautam Budh Nagar and police officials.

The entire building will be sanitized and entry of employees has been stopped till the building is sanitized and is free from COVID-19 infection, the release reads.

“After due sanitization and following the protocol the health team will issue a premises fitness certificate after which the building shall be allowed to resume its operation.” 

A worker in Zee Media, who is resident of Delhi, was tested for COVID-19 on May 15. A total 51 samples were collected and sent for testing, of these 28 ‘positive’ patients were found.

Out of this, 15 patients were residents of G.B. Nagar while the rest were residents of Delhi and Ghaziabad. They were all admitted in GIMS Greater Noida. For the last three days, a health camp for screening of all 400 employees of this company was undertaken to find close contacts of positive patients. The entire building has been sanitized repeatedly daily since May 15 to prevent spread of the infection.

The report said that 267 employees were screened and given medication in the health camp. 50 employees were selected as close contacts. They were sent for testing of COVID-19. All of them are currently in institutional quarantine.

As many as 252 employees who were in home-quarantine were listed out and put on surveillance. Every day, health personnel are calling them and collecting data regarding development of symptoms.

As per assessment, the employees who tested positive were only working on the fourth floor of the building and all employees who worked on this floor have been shifted to a neighbouring building.

The surveillance officer has noted that in a very short duration, a large number of cases have been detected in this organization.