Testing of ‘contacts’ to start on Sunday
Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 18
A bank employee, who was recently transferred from the SBI’s Bazaar Branch, Dimapur to Guwahati tested positive for COVID-19.
According to a letter to the Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, written by the Bazaar Branch Chief Manager, dated July 18, the employee moved from Dimapur on July 12 to Guwahati by hired taxi.
In Guwahati, he was quarantined and tested on July 14, the result of which returned negative. However, his nasal swab taken the same day returned a positive result on July 17.
The letter further asked the DC to initiate the necessary preventive action as per the COVID-19 protocol.
While the Bazaar Branch Chief Manager could not be reached for comment, an SBI official told The Morung Express that the person, who tested positive in Guwahati, was a senior official of the Bazaar Branch.
"He was released from the branch on July 10. He moved from here on July 12 by hired public transport," the official said.
While it could not be ascertained, the official said that he most likely hired a taxi from across the inter-state border (in neighbouring Lahorijan or Khatkhati) since no Nagaland registered taxis can travel inter-state currently.
As per the available information, he said that the transferred official on reaching Guwahati was advised home quarantine by the Assam authorities.
"The possibility of infection from the branch is very less, the possibility of infection while in transit or after reaching is higher," he held.
But he said that no chances can be taken and as advised by the district administration, the branch will be declared a containment zone and sanitization of the building will be done.
"Bazaar Branch will be shut to the public till the district administration give further instructions," the official added.
The DC could not be reached for comment. An official source informed that the DC directed the District Surveillance Officer to follow up with the necessary actions.
Awaits test report copy
In the evening, it was informed that the person was still to get a copy of the COVID-19 test report. A Dimapur district health official told The Morung Express, “We contacted him. He said that he was informed of his test report over phone and has not received a copy of the report. We are expecting to get a copy of the report by Sunday,” while adding that his wife’s test report was negative.
As dictated by protocol, a true copy of the test report is required to start response measures. The district surveillance team was already on the job, nonetheless, listing out around 30 staffers of the bank branch.
“He left on July 12. We want to start sample testing on the 7th day of his departure from Dimapur,” said the official.
“We are also trying to contact the taxi driver, who transported him to Guwahati but his phone has been switched,” he added. The driver’s residential address, across the inter-state border, was still unknown.
