10 central govt buildings faced sealing in 74-day lockdown

Ten central government buildings in the national capital have been sealed in the past 74 days as many employees and senior officials of different ministries tested coronavirus positive during the 67 days of lockdown and six days of 'Unlock 1.0'.

The buildings that were sealed included Shastri Bhawan that houses several ministries, Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan that houses the Civil Aviation Ministry, NITI Aayog building, Rail Bhawan, Udyog Bhawan, Baroda House, Shram Shakti Bhawan, Lok Nayak Bhawan, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters and a part of the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in the CGO complex.

Of these, the Enforcement Directorate headquarters, located on the fifth and sixth floors of Lok Nayak Bhawan, is the most recent office to be sealed. It was sealed on Saturday for 48 hours after five ED employees, including a Special Director-ranked officer, tested COVID-19 positive.

The sealing affected nearly a dozen of ministries as well as central armed police forces. Ministries affected included I&B, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Law and Justice, Jal Shakti, HRD, Labour and Employment, Industry and Commerce, and Railways, and also NITI Aayog and the Income Tax Settlement Commission (ITSC).

After a Joint Secretary in the law ministry, located at A Wing of Shastri Bhawan, tested COVID-19 on June 3, the area was sealed for two days.

Same day, the Ministry of Labour and Employment at Shram Shakti Bhawan was shut for the next two day for sanitization as two employees tested positive. Everyone working there was asked to work from home.

The ITSC office in Lok Nayak Bhawan was also closed for two days (June 4-5) for sanitization after the commission's Vice-Chairman tested positive on June 3. The officer had last attended the office on May 28 and had come in direct contact with several officers. It will open on June 8.

On June 2, Additional PS of the Minister of State for Industries and Commerce tested positive. His and the nearby offices in Udyog Bhawan was sealed for a day.

Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan was also sealed on June 2 for two days after a COVID-19 case was detected. It had been also sealed earlier on April 22 for three days after an employee tested coronavirus positive.

On May 13, Rail Bhawan was sealed for two days after an RPF man tested positive. On May 5, a floor of Shastri Bhawan was sealed after a law ministry official tested coronavirus positive.

The BSF headquarters at the CGO complex was sealed on June 4. The CRPF headquarters in the vicinity was sealed on June 3.

NITI Aayog building in the high-security zone was sealed for 48 hours on April 28 after a director-level officer was found infected with the virus.

Meanwhile, the number of containment zones in the national capital has gone up to 163 while 59 areas have been de-contained.