The Coronavirus has invaded the Air Cargo Complex in Andheri as five employees from two different departments tested positive.
The complex cannot be sealed and declared a Containment Zone as imported essential products, especially PPE kits and medicines, are arriving in cargo planes.
Of the five patients, three belong to the Drug Control Department and two belong to ECIC, which deals with couriers.
"The area has not been sealed by the K East ward. It is functioning as per usual with some sanitation measures. Many workers did not report to work on Monday. In a meeting with GVK, we had suggested fumigation of the complex," said a trade union member. "We have also requested that the supply of non-essential items from ACC be stopped," the union member said.
M Ram Mohan Rao, ADC CCO Mumbai Customs Zone 3 has written a letter to Drug Controller Department asking for a report after the assessment of how much are these cases in the department going to affect the functioning and operation at Air Cargo.
While the area has been fumigated and sanitized, and the positive employees home-quarantined, the worker are not satisfied and have said that shutting down the complex and limiting operations would be better.
"We have not reported to work today. Very few staff has reported. We are concerned about our safety. Atleast the department can be sealed if no proper sanitisation and fumigation can be done which is not happening. The way Chennai Airport was fumigated. The same way they should do it here" said a member of a union on the promise of anonymity.
BMC issues guidelines:
"We received a letter from the Airport Authority of India saying that medicines and other life-saving equipment are being imported to Mumbai and as such cargo operations cannot be closed. We have sanitised the cargo complex and issued guidelines to officials," said Additional Municipal Commissioner Prashant Sapkale. "During a visit a week ago by a health officer, it was found that the offices do not have cross ventilation. They have been told to correct that," Sapkale said
A senior customs officer told mid-day, "We received all BMC clearances after fumigating and sanitising the area. Officers who came in contact with the positive cases have been home-quarantined."