Doordarshan News has shifted its operations from Mandi House to its
studio in Khelgaon after a video journalist employed with it tested positive
for coronavirus following his death, officials said on Friday.
According to his family, the 53-year-old video journalist had last gone
to work on May 21 and after he returned home, he started feeling uneasy and
took leave.
According to his elder brother, he did not have coronavirus symptoms but
had 'mild breathing difficulty'.
On May 25, when he felt unwell, he consulted his family doctor who
advised him against getting tested for coronavirus and asked him to undergo
some blood tests.
"His blood test reports were normal. But on May 27, he collapsed
and died en route to the hospital. He tested positive for the virus later. The
doctor suspected that he had a heat stroke," his brother told PTI.
According to an official of DD News, initially they were told that he
had a heatstroke and then they learnt he had a heart attack which led to his
death.
However, when they learnt that he had died due to coronavirus, the areas
he may have accessed were sanitised.
"The news operations have been shifted to the Khelgaon studio from
the night of May 28. The floors of the Mandi House headquarters where news
operations took place are being sanitised and it will take another two-three
days," the official said.
The official said that the employee used to only access the camera
section.
"We have been following strict protocol and the employees are
mandated to collect the equipment and leave the building. No one was allowed to
loiter," the official said on condition of anonymity.
"But as a precautionary measure, all the camera section employees,
around 35-40 persons, are being tested at RML and if they want, they can also
undergo a test at a private lab," the official added.
The official said the employees are being called on a rotational basis
and May 21 (the day the deceased employee fell unwell) was only the sixth day
in the month that he had reported for work.
"We have automatic hand sanitizer machines at the entrance of the
building so that people do not have to touch them and those entering the
building have to undergo thermal screening," the official
said. -- PTI