Jewellery store sealed in Coimbatore after 30 staffers from Chennai join duty sans quarantine

COIMBATORE: With Chennai brought under complete lockdown from Friday to contain COVID-19, a popular jewellery showroom  reportedly ferried around 30 staff from there to Coimbatore without placing them under quarantine or getting e-passes.

The store was sealed by the revenue department on Saturday noon after it learned that the Chennai staff did not undergo the mandatory 14 days quarantine but were made to work in the branch at Gandhipuram in Coimbatore from Friday itself.

Sources said the Chennai staff arrived in Coimbatore on Thursday night.

In a tweet, City Commissioner of Police Sumit Saran said the Chennai staff failed to undergo self-quarantine, thereby endangering the lives of customers and co-workers.

Meanwhile, the health department began collecting samples of the 30 staff and another 150 employees of the store.

Official sources said they are collecting swabs from all the staff members, since there is a chance of them coming in direct contact with Chennai returnees.

"All Chennai returnees should have been isolated for two weeks. And they were brought here without e-passes which also is a violation," said an official who did not wish to be named.

An investigating officer said they might register a case under sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease danger­ous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease danger­ous to life), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and section 3 (penalty) of the Epidemics Diseases Act.

Further investigations are underway.