143 textile firm employees found infected

Tribune News Service
Patiala, September 15

The Health Department today declared a textile company at Chounth village in Samana block a micro-containment zone after 143 employees tested positive for Covid. The department said it had collected around 350 samples from the company and 143 staffers were found infected.

It has been learnt that several factories in the district have brought labour from neighbouring states without following the proper process, which has become a cause for concern for the department.

A senior health official said despite repeated reminders, factory owners did not follow the government guidelines and were hiding suspected cases.

The employees who tested positive have been isolated at the factory itself. The Patiala Civil Surgeon, Dr Harish Malhotra, said the factory had been converted into a containment zone. He said, “Once again, we urge all factory owners to isolate symptomatic employees and make them undergo the Covid test to curb the surge in infections.”

Two weeks age, 67 employees of a factory at Samana had also tested positive for the virus.