Maruti worker tests positive, company sends his contacts into home isolation

GURUGRAM: A worker at Maruti’s Manesar plant tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday while another is a suspected case. According to the company management, both workers live in a containment zone and had not come to the plant since May 15.
In a statement released late on Saturday night, the auto major said, “The company has informed the district administration. The employee has been admitted to a hospital and is stable. The company is providing all medical help and assistance to him as per government guidelines.”
The contact-tracing exercise has begun and Maruti has advised all workers who might have come into contact to stay in home isolation.
“We have in place a robust and carefully designed standard operating procedure (SOP) for maximum safety against infection spread at the workplace and transit, which goes well beyond compliance requirement. In addition, there is also a Covid-19 task force that closely monitors adherence to the SOP,” said a Maruti spokesperson.
Workers and union members said that the management had made adequate arrangements, and both the positive patient and the suspected case had been off the campus. “We are completely satisfied with the safety arrangements and have no complaints on that front,” said Ajmer Yadav, a union member.
The development comes around 10 days after the auto giant resumed operations at its plant in Manesar after a shutdown lasting a month and a half. The operations at its Gurugram plant started a week later. The cases could cause some concern to manufacturers who are dealing with a shortage of workers due to reverse migration. The firm, however, has said that its operations have not been impacted.
TOI attempted to reach health department officials, but did not get a response.