CHENNAI: Except for essential and emergency services, all the offices inside the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-Shar) will remain shut as fresh cases of COVID-19 emerged.
Another employee of the Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB) and a securityman attached to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which guards the high security facility, tested positive on Monday. Previously, five cases were reported from Shar housing colonies of which two were SPROB technicians, one hospital staff and two family members of the infected.
The sudden spurt in cases has forced the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to lock down Sriharikota and operate with minimum essential staff. Official sources told The New Indian Express that a decision to this effect was taken by the SDSC Shar director in consultation with the headquarters in Bengaluru.
Construction work had commenced from April last week with workers residing in Sriharikota and labour camps allowed to take part. Now, with the COVID-19 scare looming large, all the work has come to a standstill until further orders, sources said.
A Dhanalakshmamma, Senior Administrative Officer, said in a circular on working modalities, "SDSC Shar will only function with minimum essential/skeletal staff with immediate effect and until further orders, to avoid further transmissions and enable to complete the contact tracing of primary and secondary contacts of the detected COVID-19 cases. The entity chiefs in consultation with the Director, SDSC Shar will decide the essential/critical activities of respective entities and accordingly staff may be deployed for attending the duties. All the employees except essential services shall work from home and should be available on telephone and electronic means of communication at all times and shall attend duties on requirement."
Meanwhile, in a separate message, the deputy director of Liquid Propellant Storage and Servicing Facilities (LSSF) has requested employees to work from home until further instructions.