Nanjangud plant of Jubilant Life Sciences closed as some employees found COVID-19 positive

Drug firm Jubilant Life Sciences on Tuesday said its Nanjangud plant in Karnataka has been shut until April 10 and all the employees are under self-quarantine after some of its staff tested positive for COVID-19.

On March 26, the district administration of Nanjangud informed the company that one of the employees from the Nanjangud plant has tested positive for COVID-19.

The employee is under medical supervision at a government hospital and is recuperating well, Jubilant Life Sciences said in a filing to the BSE.

"We have been again informed that some more employees from the same plant have also tested positive for COVID-19," it added.

"The plant, which is part of Jubilant Generics Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of a material subsidiary of the Company, has been temporarily shut down until April 10, 2020 and all the employees are under self-quarantine," it said.

When contacted, the company did not provide the number of employees who have tested positive.

"Health and safety of our employees as well the nearby community is of utmost importance to us. We have been taking all the necessary precautions like sanitising the buses, temperature checking at the gate, providing sanitisers in all offices and following all the government directed protocols on health and safety," Jubilant Life Sciences said.

In a statement, the company said the entire plant area is being sanitised again.

"To facilitate the wellbeing of our employees, we are arranging food and other necessary items. We are also distributing nose mask and soap/ sanitiser within the local community and providing all the help and support to the community and to the local administration," it added.