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That the dreaded Coronavirus knows no age, gender, socio-economic divide was a point driven home in South Delhi. A teenaged food delivery agent has tested Covid-19 positive and over 72 families he had delivered food to have been asked to stay in home quarantine. According to news reports, 17 more food delivery agents who may have come in contact with the young man have also been taken to be quarantined at a facility in Delhi’s Chattarpur area.
The 19-year-old was delivering food for a restaurant located in the upper middle class area of Malviya Nagar in south Delhi. According to NDTV, he had been on the job and made deliveries Sunday, until he fell ill. He is now undergoing treatment at the government-run Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
The news set off a scare wave across the city, specially in the upwardly mobile areas of Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar and Savitri Nagar. The families who ordered food and received them from the teenage delivery agent are being monitored as they stay in quarantine, BM Mishra, district collector, South Delhi told reporters.
As dine-in facilities at restaurants are closed, and part time housekeepers and cooks are not allowed in Delhi many are depending on home-delivery of meals, across the city. Food delivery agents are often seen on their cycles, and motorcycles delivering within a tight radius of the restaurant they work at. Most are seen wearing gloves and face masks and have instructions to drop the packages off at the building gates, from where it is picked up by the person who ordered. Digital payments have also been pushed when ordering online or over the phone.
With the lockdown now extended having a job is also crucial for these delivery agents who are also facing an economic crisis like anyone else. “We take care, the owner has given us masks and gloves. I also carry my own sanitizer, see,” said Raju, who delivers grocery and medicines in the Patparganj area of east Delhi. Most housing societies in the city have closed main gates and no vendors, and delivery agents are allowed in the complexes. Some have also provided bars of soap and water for washing hands as needed. However, such rules are often lax in open colonies with large independent houses, as well as lower middle class densely populated areas around them.
The South Delhi restaurant where the rider worked has shut the branch for 14 days. News Reports cite a statement from the restaurant stating that the delivery person got infected despite all Coronavirus precautions. “After all precautions and vigilance, in an unfortunate turn of events, a delivery partner of our Malviya Nagar kitchen in South Delhi had tested Covid 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,” NDTV cited the restaurant without naming it.
What has come across as a much needed humane touch is the fact that the restaurant has said it will support the young man now undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at the government-run hospital which is in Central Delhi. “While we serve the society, one of our delivery partners has taken the hit. We stand by him and are doing everything to support him,” stated the eatery as quoted by NDTV..
According to the report the delivery agent himself did not have any travel history, officials suspect he may have caught the virus while delivering to an infected family. This busts another myth that it is the ‘poorer’ sections of society who live in densely populated areas with lesser hygiene facilities may be carriers of the virus. That of course is not true at all as has been proven time and again.
In its media statement, Zomato the leading food delivery platform said, “Covid-19 could happen to anyone – and it is near impossible for all of us to completely isolate ourselves, especially when we need outside support for essentials such as food…We believe that none of our riders should and would knowingly keep working if they knew they were infected”.
Delhi has recorded over 1,578 Covid-19 cases, including over 30 deaths so far. After the national lockdown Delhi government had identified and declared scores of Covid-19 hotspots across the city. Many areas where positive cases were found were also sealed completely. According to Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain, an area where a new Covid-19 positive case is found is declared an ‘orange zone’, this is a larger ‘buffer’ area where aggressive monitoring is done and all movement is restricted. Areas where more than three Covid-19 positive cases emerge is declared as a red zone, which is sealed and only authorized personnel allowed access. More areas have been added to the list over the last few days. According to Jagran, Delhi now has 57 red zones across the city.
The Delhi Government has once again said it will arrange to deliver essential goods and services to these areas.
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