Two More Railway Officials Test Covid-19 Positive; Cases at Rail Headquarters Rise to 18

Two more railway officials tested positive for coronavirus at Rail Bhavan here on Thursday, taking the total number of cases detected so far in the building to 18, officials said.

A couple of days after two officials tested COVID-19 positive, two more -- both section officers -- in key departments have been found to have contracted the virus.

The first is a officer associated with the office of the Executive Director of the Corporate Coordination (EDCC) of the railway board, who last attended work on June 1. Thirteen officials have been sent to home quarantine till June 15 after they came in contact with him.

The other official is associated with the finance directorate and last attended office on May 20.

On June 9, a multi-tasking staff of the railways was found COVID-19 positive. He had last attended office on June 4. Around eight of his contacts have been sent to home quarantine, they said.

A deputy director level officer has also tested positive for the disease. He had last come to office on May 20. He tested positive on June 9, the officials said.

The Railway Board has said all officials who came in contact with the deputy director level officer may take precautions and look out for symptoms since his 14-day quarantine period got over on June 3.

The last set of coronavirus cases from the building was reported on June 4. An official working at Chairman Railway Board V K Yadav's office had tested positive. He had last attended office on May 21 and was found COVID-19 positive on June 3.

Another official working on the third floor of the building had also tested positive for the highly infectious disease. He had attended office till June 1.

The building, which is the headquarters of the Indian Railways, has already been sealed twice last month.

While not many are attending office in the building as the railways is following a staggered attendance policy, these infections have scared officials with many even contemplating applying for long leaves, sources said.

These cases follow a list of railway officials who have tested positive for the pandemic, including two senior women officers, a contractual worker who drives out langoors' from the building and several mid level staffers.