#Coronavirus: Executive Delivering Zomato Orders Tests Positive; 72 Families Quarantined In South Delhi

In an unfortunate incident, a delivery boy associated with a pizza outlet in South Delhi has tested positive with coronavirus.

That delivery boy has delivered some of the Zomato orders as well, and it’s not clear whether he delivered any Zomato order while being infected or not.

As a precaution, 72 families in South Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area have been put into self-quarantine as per officials.

Pizza Delivery Boy Tests Positive

Late Wednesday evening, District Magistrate of South Delhi BM Mishra informed that a 19-year old delivery boy, working with a famous pizza outlet has tested positive with coronavirus.

That patient is now hospitalized, and necessary treatment is being provided.

14-16 colleagues of that delivery boy have been put into isolation, and testing are underway.

That delivery boy had delivered to 72 homes in and around South Delhi, and as a precautionary measure, all 72 families have been asked to self-quarantine and testings are underway.

DM said, “We have found that 72 houses had taken delivery from that pizza outlet and hence everyone has been told to follow precautionary measures and be under self- quarantine,” 

He added that there is nothing to panic, as all delivery boys were wearing masks and gloves, and infection doesn’t seem to spread via food.

Zomato Clarifies On Coronavirus Infection

Zomato has clarified on this incident via message on Twitter.

Zomato has their own delivery boys for delivering orders, but sometimes riders from their partner restaurants too deliver their orders, which are placed on Zomato app.

This infected delivery executive was part of such partner restaurant, and it’s not clear whether he delivered any Zomato order while being infected, or delivered other orders.

Zomato said, “We have been made aware that a restaurant’s employee, who has been recently tested positive for Covid-19, had delivered food in the past to a few customers in the Malviya Nagar area in Delhi. All these customers have been contacted by the govt authorities,”

A COVID-19 notice from us. pic.twitter.com/Bpp7bzJdQN

— Zomato (@ZomatoIN) April 15, 2020

There has been no instance of any Coronavirus infection spread via food, and Zomato and Delhi District officials have appealed not to panic.

As per WHO: “Experiences from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses, such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) show that transmission through food consumption did not occur. coronaviruses are thermolabile, which means that they are susceptible to normal cooking temperatures (70°C). To date, there have not been any reports of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus through food.”

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