Due to the increasing number of railway officials working in Chennai Central testing positive for the novel coronavirus, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has marked a few residential blocks in railway staff colonies spread across the city as COVID-19 hotspots. This comes days after the headquarters and divisional office of Southern Railways were shut down after a few senior officers were confirmed of having COVID-19.
According to a senior officer in Southern Railways, seven officials – five in the divisional office and two in the headquarters – have tested positive for coronavirus as of Sunday. This includes a senior operations manager and a Public Relations Officer. Most of these officers reside at the Railway staff colonies in Nungambakkam and Teynampet. Hence the GCC has marked one block each in the Sterling Road colony and Pycroft’s colony as hotspots. Two residential blocks in the Railway staff colony in Rostrevor Colony in Teynampet have also been designated as a COVID-19 hotspots by the Corporation. In effect around 350 persons related to the officers have been isolated at their houses across these residential colonies.
“The entire family of six of one of the COVID-19 positive officers has also tested positive in Rostrevor colony in Teynampet,” added the senior officer.
The Division and the Southern Railway Headquarters buildings have been shut down for disinfecting since Thursday and are scheduled to reopen on Monday. As a precautionary measure, one of the office buildings belonging to Southern Railways in Chennai Egmore was also shut on Friday.
Earlier in May, an employee working in Perambur tested positive for coronavirus. The employee was reporting to work to prepare the salary statements of the railway staff. Following this, the Railways had traced at least 20 other staff members who had come in contact with the COVID-19 positive employee.
TNM has contacted the officials of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) for more details. The story will be updated once we receive response.