A case has been registered against a supplier of swab sticks used for collecting nasal and throat samples for Covid-19 testing after a video purportedly showed that the items were being packed in unhygienic conditions at a slum in neighbouring Thane district, police said on Thursday.
Earlier this week, a video surfaced on social media, which showed that swab sticks were being packed at a slum in Sant Dnyaneshwar Nagar in Ulhasnagar, an official said. Following this, officials from the Food and Drug Administration, local civic body and police visited the slum and recovered packets of swab sticks from a few households on Wednesday, he said.
A case has been registered against the supplier, who had hired labour from the households, he said, adding that no arrests have been made so far.
The video showed women and children packing swab sticks, without wearing any gloves or masks. Some sticks were also left lying on floor mats and children handled them with their bare hands, the official said.
