Rail Nilayam, the South Central Railway’s headquarters in Hyderabad, has been shut down for intensive sanitisation due to the high number of COVID-19 cases in the premises. The seven-floor building located in Secunderabad houses hundreds of employees of the SCR.
Recently, all employees have undergone mass testing through RT-PCR for COVID-19. In the results released, it was found that several employees turned positive for the novel coronavirus. The official number of the COVID-19 cases has not been revealed, however, sources say that the number may be between 30 to 40 cases.
Following the tests, authorities of the SCR decided to close the building temporarily on September 14 and 15, so that all building blocks can be thoroughly cleaned and sanitised in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the office premises.
According to sources, all Heads of Departments were asked to ensure their respective blocks were sanitised, including toilets, concourse areas, staircases, and lift areas. Necessary orders for the official closure of the headquarters were also issued.
Employees who tested positive for the coronavirus were asked to remain in home quarantine under medical advice. The employees were also given phone numbers for doctors by the SCR to call for consultation during the isolation period.
Staff members who have not yet been tested were asked to undergo testing at the Hyderabad Bhavan on September 15 and Lalaguda Central Hospital on September 17 and 18, according to the employees.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases in the state of Telangana is on rise. According to the latest information, there are a total of 1,58,513 cases, of which 1,27,007 have recovered. About 974 have succumbed to COVID-19, as per official records.