HOME DELIVERIES – THE NEW HEALTH HAZARD?
Home deliveries, A pizza delivery employee in New Delhi tested positive for COVID-19. According to South Delhi administration, the man tested positive on 14th April. The man was employed at food tech startup BOX8.
He had deliveries acquired some symptoms like fatigue and cough way back in March but since he had no history of International travel or known contact with an infected patient, he continued working without getting tested. He delivered food to 72 houses which are now identified and the residents quarantined. Officials have further confirmed that 17 other people who were found to work with him, are also being quarantined. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that the man tested positive and the people he had come in contact with are also being isolated.
Popular food delivery app Zomato stated on Thursday that the positive tested man had also delivered for them. Zomato’s statement went as “We have been made aware today that a restaurant’s employee, who has recently tested positive for COVID-19, had delivered food in the past to a few customers in the Malviya Nagar area in Delhi. All these customers have already been contacted by the government authorities. Some of these orders delivered by the restaurant staff were placed on Zomato. We are not sure whether the rider was infected at the time of delivery. This restaurant has instructed its riders to wear masks and follow strict hygiene to keep customers safe from any unintended mishap.” Zomato further confirmed that his co-workers have tested negative.
The restaurant where the man was employed also issued a statement which said “There are temperature checks each day, the company provided masks and gloves, education in identifying symptoms, and on self-isolation strict protocols for sanitisation and no contact delivery. After all precautions and vigilance…a delivery partner of our Malviya Nagar kitchen had tested positive yesterday. We have shared all required information with authorities and they have reached out to all customers who had come in indirect contact with the affected person. The delivery partner has been deliveries keeping well and getting required medical attention. All his co-workers have been quarantined and we have shut down the Malviya Nagar kitchen for the next 14 days.”
The company said that they’re also helping the man and added that the staff will receive their payments. It said, “We stand by him and are doing everything to support him.”
The greater question still stands that amidst the coronavirus outbreak, despite following guidelines like no contact delivery and social distancing, are door to door deliveries proving to be a new health hazard?
