With 13 staffers, their families infected, Noida firm booked for hiding info on foreign auditor

An FIR was registered against a private company whose staffers, including a foreigner who visited the firm recently, are suspected to have infected 13 people with coronavirus in Noida and Greater Noida, officials said on Saturday.

The FIR has been registered under the Uttar Pradesh Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, on the basic of a complaint by Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Medical Officer Aurag Bhargava, the officials said.

As on Saturday evening, Gautam Buddh Nagar has recorded 26 coronavirus positive cases, including 13 people whose contact of infection could be traced to the Cease Fire company, the Health Department said in a statement.

The managing director of the company had gone to the UK and returned from there on March 1. On March 7, a staffer 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 members, have got infected with coronavirus, Bhargava said.

Phone calls and live chat available on the company's website yielded no response when contacted by PTI for reaction.

Of all the cases recorded in Gautam Buddh Nagar so far, we have seen that there is no person whose source of infection is not identified, the chief medical officer said.

He said it is clear how social distancing and hand sanitation could be preventive against the novel coronavirus and had this company been cautious about these measures then such a situation could have been averted.

I appeal to the people that if anyone of you has returned from foreign or knows about anyone coming from abroad, please inform the health department and ensure such a person practices home quarantine without fail, Bhargava added.