Coronavirus Panic Grips Hyderabad; IT Firms Are Doing These 9 Things To Defeat Coronavirus Spread

The corononavirus entering India has spread panic across India!

In Hyderabad, on March 4, two more persons reportedly tested positive for coronavirus, of which one is a woman technology worker. 

Meanwhile, after 5 people were suspected of the virus in Bengaluru, business parks across the city are adopting urgent measures to ensure their premises are clean amidst growing concerns over Coronavirus.

Read to find out more…

Panic Stricken Hyderabad

Hyderabad’s IT sector of Madhapur and Gachibowli on Wednesday reported two more people positive for Coronavirus. 

In Hyderabad, several companies like DSM Shared Services located in Raheja Mindspace IT SEZ, where the woman who tested positive was working.  The 100-acre Raheja Mindspace is home to 21 buildings, employing thousands of technology workers. DSM have closed their offices temporarily. DSM announced that the office premises was currently being sanitised after one of the staffers was diagnosed with the infection. The company said the diagnosis was confirmed early on March 4 and two of its offices in Hyderabad “will be closed till further notice” and the “employees will be operating from home.”

Telangana IT secretary Jayesh Ranjan appealed to the IT companies to stay in touch with the government and not close offices, as it would only trigger panic. He said, At least two software firms should resume operations from Thursday after sanitising their premises.

Out of around 350 employees working at DSM, only 23 employees who came in contact with the techie have been advised home quarantine for two weeks. Several schools and educational institutions were closed down temporarily in the Mahindra Hills area of Secunderabad, where the IT professional who tested positive stayed.

Telangana health minister Etela Rajender said there are certain protocols to be followed before announcing Covid-19 positive cases as they require conclusive tests and approval by central government agencies. The status of two more suspected or borderline cases will be declared only by March 5 evening.

Many schools have decided to temporarily called-off their morning assemblies and several gated residential communities have decided not to celebrate Holi, even as the Hyderabad High Court has received a petition seeking to ban Holi celebrations to avert the spread of Covid-19. 

The health department has issued an advisory to all IT/BT firms to allow employees with flu-like symptoms to work from home. The government has also asked IT and BT employees to avoid travelling to the countries affected that include China, Iran, Republic of Korea, Italy, Japan and Iran. Union home minister Amit Shah called off his March 15 visit to Hyderabad to address a CAA rally.

9 Things Which IT Firms Are Doing To Defeat Coronavirus

IT companies in and around Bengaluru and other IT hubs are now into the full combat-mode to defeat coronavirus.

Here are the 5 things which they are doing to stop the spread of coronavirus:

• The business parks in Bengaluru are stepping up their hygiene game by sanitising common areas such as washrooms and food courts. 

• Companies are also reducing business travel to countries who have been most affected like China, Japa, Singapore, South-Korea and Italy. Also employees showing flu-like symptoms are being asked to work from home.

• Entire Embassy Office Parks campus in Bengaluru, which houses complexes such Manyata Tech Park and Embassy Tech Village on the Outer Ring Road has been disinfected and the compounds have been sanitised. They have also sought professional advice on prevention, detection, recording, isolation and treatment.

• Developer Brigade, whose clients include Amazon and ABB, said it was running awareness camps on LCD screens across its parksto make employees aware of the steps to follow in case of fever and general caution such as washing hands and avoiding touching the face.

• The company has also been sanitising washrooms more frequently, every 2 hours at an approximate. The common areas and floors are being treated every 4 hours.

• Wipro has temporarily halted travel and transit through mainland China including Hong Kong and Macua, until further notice and advised its employees to avoid non-critical travel to Singapore, South-Korea, Japan and Italy. 

• Cognizant has suspended travel to these countries as well and advised employees to work from home is they experience flu-like symptoms. 

• Accenture has undertaken a business continuity plan, basically taking stock of its critical resources and backup arrangements in case employees are asked to work from home.

• A TCS spokesperson while saying that the company is taking precautions said, “We are working closely with all the local, regional and global health institutions and are implementing the latest recommendations given to us. We are ensuring that our staff have all the information and support they require.”

We will keep you updated, as more details come in. 

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