india

Updated: Mar 27, 2020 17:46 IST

Three more persons in Noida have tested positive to the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen that causes the coronavirus disease, or Covid-19. Health officials on Friday said the infection in these fresh cases have also been traced back to a British national who was in the city earlier this month.

In all, three employees of a Noida firm and their family members have tested positive to the highly-contagious virus. Health officials who had touched base with the firm and the hotel where the British national stayed for three days were told that he had close contact with 19 people.

The British national did not have symptoms of the infection when he arrived on 15 March. He left the country on March 17.

A 36-year-old executive in the fire safety company was the third employee of the firm to test positive on Friday. Two of his colleagues already had.

A 55-year-old mother and 33-year-old wife of another employee of the same company have tested positive for the virus. Incidentally, the employee, who stays in a multistorey apartment block in Sector 137, Noida, however, had tested negative so far.

“Three more persons who came in direct or indirect contact with the British national are found positive for Covid-19,” said Dr Anurag Bhargava, chief medical officer, Gautam Budh Nagar.

Five people who live in Noida’s Sector 137 and Sector 150 had already been tested positive by Thursday. The five include a couple and their 19-year-old daughter living in Sector 137 and another couple living in Sector 150, Noida. The starting point of the infection in these cases also was the same foreign national.

Officials have sealed the two apartment complexes in Greater Noida and Noida’s Sector 137 for two days and ordered the residents to stay under home quarantine. Officials will now be sanitizing the buildings where the two families live and the common areas of their respective societies.

“We will be sanitizing both the societies in Greater Noida and Sector 137 where Covid-19 positive cases have been found. The societies (apartment block) will be sealed for two days as per the orders of the district magistrate. We are following the protocol while sanitising and putting residents under home quarantine to stop spreading of the infection,” said Prasoon Dwivedi, sub-divisional magistrate.

On Thursday, officials had sealed the hotel in Sector 135 where the British national had stayed during his visit to Noida.

Officials had taken samples of four persons who came in contact with the Briton at office. Officials will also collect samples who are under home quarantine and show some symptoms of the infection.