VIJAYAWADA: The State Secretariat continued to report fresh COVID-19 cases as two more government employees tested positive for the virus on Monday. While, one was working in the General Administration Department, another was working in the Labour Department, sources said.
With this, total number of coronavirus cases in the AP Secretariat Complex reached 12, including two outsourcing staff and a police constable. The medical teams have started identifying primary and secondary contacts of the positive cases.
With one of the employees of the Industries and Commerce department tested positive for COVID-19, Special Chief Secretary (Industries and Commerce) R Karikal Valaven issued an order asking its employees to work from home till June 14. However, he asked employees to be available on phone and be present physically when required.
Employees of the agriculture department have already given work from home option for two weeks after an employee of the department tested positive. As the testing reports of the employees of Block 4 and police personnel at the Secretariat are yet to be revealed, the number is expected to increase in the coming days.
Employees of all the departments except those working in the departments in the Block 5 underwent the screening by Monday. AP Secretariat Employees Association president K Venkatrami Reddy said that the government was conducting the tests as part of precautionary measures to combat the spread of COVID - 19.All the 11 employees tested positive in the Secretariat were asymptomatic, he said.