The office of the Jharkhand Industrial Area Development Authority (JIADA) that coordinates activities of over 1,500 units in Adityapur was shut down for three days on Saturday after one of its staff members died of Covid-19 in late on Friday night.
The 40-year-old, who was in the accounts department was at work till Wednesday. Office-bearers of JIADA (formerly known as Adityapur Industrial Area Development Authority) shut down the office as a precautionary measure.
Entrepreneurs, who visited the JIADA office regularly after it opened when lockdown restrictions were eased, are in a state of shock. JIADIA regional deputy director Ranjana Mishra said as the accountant worked alongside 30 others in the office.
Hence, they have decided to get the premises fumigated and sanitised after which it would be reopened on Tuesday.
"We have closed the JIADA office Saturday. We will get all staff and the family members of the deceased tested for Covid on Sunday. Others who may have come in contact with him may also undergo Covid tests,” Mishra told The Telegraph Online.
Inder Kumar Agrawal, president of Adityapur Small Industries Association, said they too were worried. “Although the coronavirus outbreak does not seem to be widespread in Seraikela, especially in the industrial estate, after the death of this person working at JIADA, we will have to remain more cautious," he said.
Barely 2km from the heart of the city, JIADA Bhawan is under Seraikela-Kharsawan district where the number of coronavirus positive cases has reached 700. In all, the virus has claimed eight persons in the district.
In Jamshedpur, 13 people, including six women died in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of deaths due to the coronavirus in East Singhbhum district to 166.
District civil surgeon R.N. Jha said eight persons, three of them men, died of the Covid on Friday. Five others died till 5pm on Saturday. "Till date, the total number of coronavirus positive cases in the district is 4,891 of which 132 were reported till late on Friday," he said.