Panic grips Panjab University as employee tests positive

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, June 24

Panic gripped Panjab University (PU) as one of its employees tested positive for Covid today.

The employee (37) stays with her in-laws in Sector 29, but was in regular contact with her family members who stay on the PU campus. The employee was posted at the Re-evaluation Branch of the Administration Block and has been coming to work as per the instructions. Her brother works as an assistant programmer and her sister is posted at the DSW office, say sources.

Reportedly, the woman contracted infection from one of her relatives undergoing treatment at the PGI. “One of her relatives from Himachal Pradesh was at the PGI. The contact was scheduled to undergo a surgery. As a precaution, all family members of the PU employee have been asked to quarantine themselves and contact tracing has started,” said the source.

“The employee has four direct contacts at the PU. Her parents, brother and sister stay on the campus, while she stays in Sector 29. All this while, she was in regular contact with her family. She had visited the Establishment Branch, Accounts Branch and Audit Branch. It is being alleged that her brother recently visited Uttar Pradesh,” said another source.

In a message to the fraternity, the PU Registrar said: “Taking cognizance of the fact that an employee posted in the Re-evaluation Branch is Covid positive and that her family members may have been in contact with employees of other branches, the matter was discussed with the authorities. After getting the consent of the PU Vice-Chancellor, it has been decided that as a matter of caution, the Administration Block and the Aruna Ranjit Chandra Hall shall remain closed for sanitisation today. Meanwhile, all officers (Deputy Registrars and Assistant Registrars) posted in these blocks shall seek information from officials under their charge as to whether they had any contact with the employee who tested positive.”

Building to remain closed

As a precautionary measure, the Administrative Block and the Aruna Ranjit Chandra Hall will remain closed till June 26. Prof Karamjeet Singh, Registrar, said if there was any scheduled meeting or the last date for the submission of document during these days, the same stand postponed to the next working day. “The situation will be reviewed on June 26 for further course of action,” said the Registrar. The authorities have also started seeking details from the campus residents asking them to share details of any visitors or their travel history.

Meanwhile, a PU Syndicate meeting, which was schedule to be held on June 25, has been postponed till July 14.

30 contacts traced

The PU authorities confirmed that around 30 contacts of the employee have been identified and asked to quarantine themselves as a precautionary measure. A few of the identified contacts stay on the campus.