The Sonipat district administration has launched a massive contact-tracing drive after 75 workers at two popular eateries in Murthal tested Covid positive, officials said on Friday.
Sonipat’s Deputy Commissioner Shyam Lal Punia said sampling work has been initiated at other eateries also. 65 workers at Amrik-Sukhdev dhaba and 10 at Garam Dharam dhaba had tested positive for coronavirus following which both the eateries were sealed on Thursday.
Both eateries are located in Sonipat’s Murthal and nearly 50 km away from Delhi.
Murthal is known for its eateries which dot a stretch on both sides of the Ambala-Delhi national highway. People are seen stopping by for the famous “parathas” and other delicacies.
The DC said in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, all the eateries had already been directed to maintain a register to record the number of visitors and their contact details.
“On the basis of these, we are trying to contact as many as possible who have eaten food at these two dhabas during the past few days,” he said.
Sonipat’s Chief Medical Officer Dr JS Punia said the majority of those infected at the Sukhdev dhaba were workers who had recently come from Bihar.
“They all live in a colony near the dhaba and we are tracing and testing all of their local contacts. Moreover, we have also informed health authorities in Bihar about this and as the infected persons could have come into contact with many there as well,” the CMO told PTI over phone.
Health authorities in Sonipat district appealed to those who may have eaten food at these two popular eateries during the past few days to watch out for any symptoms they may develop and isolate themselves.
Asked how many people would have eaten food at these two eateries, health department officials in the district said these two eateries are quite popular, but to give any estimate would be difficult at this stage.
The DC earlier told PTI that the Sonipat district administration had been running a special drive for the sampling of workers at the eateries and it was during this process that these cases were detected.