72 families in Delhi found themselves under quarantine after a delivery personnel associated with a well known pizza chain tested positive for the novel coronavirus. This was confirmed by the District Magistrate of South Delhi on Wednesday.
However, the person in question also has a link to food delivery company Zomato. According to a statement put up by the company on its Twitter handle, the restaurant employee had delivered orders in the Malviya Nagar area of Delhi -- some of which had been placed by Zomato customers.
"Some of these orders delivered by the restaurant staff were placed on Zomato. We are not sure whether the rider was infected at the time of delivery," the food aggregator app and website said.
In its statement Zomato added that all his coworkers of the infected rider have tested negative. "As a precaution, the restaurant where this rider worked has suspended operations," the company wrote. It also noted that the restaurant in question had asked their riders to wear masks and "follow strict hygiene to keep customers safe from any unintended mishap".
Zomato's founder Deepinder Goyal had also taken to Twitter on Thursday to talk about food and grocery delivery in the times of the coronavirus. In a lengthy 12-tweet thread Goyal pointed out that "in spite of everybody’s best efforts" such essential services are not "fully risk-free".
"Customers should be cognisant of the risks involved and follow careful package handling practices if they are getting anything home delivered," he wrote. While Goyal's tweets did not mention this specific case, he went on to elaborate on the precautionary measures being taken by the company and its partner restaurants and delivery executives.
"There is no scientific evidence to believe we can completely eliminate the risk. However, we can, together, help minimise the risk even further. Please follow safe package handling practices – irrespective of what delivery you receive at home – food or merchandise," he wrote in one tweet.
The company has taken several measures to combat the spread of the virus. As per Goyal, the temperature of delivery partners are now being checked "multiple times a day at around 10,000 partner restaurants".
"And we have hand washing/alcohol rub based sanitization stations at 50,000+ restaurant partners, covering a majority of our order volume," he added.
"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," the company added said in its statement.
An Indian Express report also quoted a statement from the restaurant where the delivery executive had worked to add that they had shared all relevant information with the authorities and reached out to all customers who may have come in contact with the victim. The man in question they added, was doing well and getting the necessary medical attention.
"All his co-workers have been quarantined and we have shut down the Malviya Nagar kitchen for the next 14 days,’ the restaurant added. The statement also reassured that they would continue to pay their staff.
