COVID-19: After Yogi's ire, Noida firm linked to over two dozen cases sealed

The administration on Tuesday sealed a private company in Noida after around two dozen coronavirus cases were traced to it, according to an official order.

The development comes a day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the Gautam Buddh Nagar district, the hotspot of coronavirus cases in the state, and reprimanded officers for not being able to contain the virus from spreading.

He had particularly pulled up officials for not taking effective action against private company Cease Fire, whose employees and their family members are among 22 people infected with COVID-19.

"Due to several people getting infected with COVID-19 at Cease Fire Private Limited (about which I got informed by the chief medical officer on March 30), and with an objective to contain the virus from spreading further, I order that this company be sealed until further orders, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Sadar, Prasunn Dwivedi stated in the order.

The firm, located in Sector 135, is engaged in fire safety services, fire-proofing homes, offices and vehicles, according to information available on its website.

An FIR was registered against the firm on March 29 under the Uttar Pradesh Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and IPC sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (unlawfully or negligently spreading infection of any disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) after a complaint by Gautam Buddh Nagar CMO Aurag Bhargava.

The Managing Director ofCeaseFirehad gone to the UK and returned from there on March 1. On March 7 a staff officer of the company had returned from the UK.

"A foreign national had carried out the audit of the company on March 14, 15 and 16 but the company did not inform about it to the health department. Thirteen people of this company including their family have got infected with coronavirus, Bhargava had said in his complaint on March 28.

The number of coronavirus positive cases that have been traced to Cease Fire since then has surged to at least 22 within Gautam Buddh Nagar, which has so far recorded 38 COVID-19 patients, the highest in any district of UP, according to official figures.