Paytm employee who returned from Italy to Gurgaon, tests positive for coronavirus

Gurgaon, Mar 04: A Paytm employee in Gurgaon has tested positive for novel coronavirus, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

It said the employee had recently returned from a vacation in Italy, one of the worst-hit countries from coronavirus.

The leading digital payments firm has advised all its employees to work from home for the next couple of days while the Gurgaon unit gets sanitised, the statement said, adding its daily operations will not be impacted.

"One of our colleagues based out of Gurgaon office who recently returned from Italy post a vacation has sadly been tested positive for Coronavirus. He is receiving appropriate treatment. As a precautionary measure, we have suggested his team members to get health tests done immediately," a Paytm spokesperson said.

"We have also advised all our colleagues to work from home for a couple of days while we get our offices sanitized. However, there will not be any impact on our daily operations and Paytm services will continue as usual," the spokesperson added.

With the latest case being confirmed, the total number of people infected with the coronavirus has gone up to 29 in the country of which 16 are Italian tourists, a Health Ministry official said. People and corporate firms in Gurgaon are taking preventive steps.

While protective gears like masks and hand sanitiser were distributed in some companies, some firms set up facilities to check the body temperature of their employees before they entered offices.

"Several employees including security guards at my office wore masks as a precautionary measure against the new virus," a software engineer told PTI. Another techie said, "Masks were distributed in my office while people were also discussing who has visited which country abroad recently."

A statement from the Haryana Health Department said, 956 people are under observation in the state, of whom 938 with travel history to affected countries are asymptomatic.

"18 passengers with travel history from affected countries in various districts like Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Kaithal, Karnal, Panchkula, Rohtak and Sirsa were admitted out of which 14 Passengers have been discharged as their result is negative for ncOv, however they are still under surveillance at home as per protocol," the statement added.

"Two passengers from Gurugram and two from Faridabad are admitted," according to the statement. "Till date, 32 samples have been sent out of which 29 found Negative for ncoV and result of three is awaited," it added.