The employees who are tested positive were the part of the team that provided food and essentials from Day 1 of the Lockdown
MUMBAI| On Friday, 13 employees of Sai Dham temple that is located adjacent to the Western Express Highway in Kandivali East in Mumbai are tested positive for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
Following the reports, the employees who are tested positive were the part of the team that provided food and essentials from Day 1 of the Lockdown.
The trustee of the temple said, “They were living in the temple quarters hence we suspect they contracted the disease while on the field, distributing food. They have been using masks and gloves. This is very unfortunate for all of us. We hope they recover soon.”
This incident has left residents of slums areas who collected food from them and security guarding the temple worried.
Assistant Municipal Commissioner of R (South), Sanjay Kurhade, while taking to press said, “They lived in the temple premises and their swab tests were collected after a few of them reported mild symptoms. We have traced their close contacts. Since they lived in the temple, there are hardly any high-risk contacts. We are now tracing those who were served food recently in the nearby slums and the security outside the temple too will be tested.”
Kuharde said that all 13 people have been shifted to COVID-19 care centres 2 (CCC2) (for Asymptomatic positives/ those with mild symptoms) facility at Sai Nagar in Kandivali (East).
In 20 days, the number of cases in BMC’s R (South) ward that constitute Kandivali and a small part of Borivali has steadily increased by 30%. The ward which is a mix of affluent areas and slum areas has reported 80% of cases from slum areas. The wards current count is at moderate 307. However, a steady rise is still a concern as cases are surging in slum pockets. More than 60% of ward comprises of slum population.
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