Bengaluru Railway officer in dock for keeping COVID-19 positive son in official rest house

A railway officer who placed her son returning from Germany to an officers' rest house in Bengaluru for four days has been suspended as her son tested positive to coronavirus on Monday.

Officials said, the assistant personnel officer in Bengaluru Division, was allotted a Rest House accommodation for her family in Bengaluru. "Her son came from Germany via Madrid (Spain) airport to KSR Bengaluru and stayed in Mapple Rest House from Friday to Monday. He himself went for a check-up at a hospital on Monday and was tested positive on Wednesday late evening," SWR chief public relations officer E Vijaya said.

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The Maple Rest House has 16 rooms and officials were not clear how many of them were occupied. "Sometimes people stay for a day and vacate, allowing others to use the lodging facility," another official said.

Additionally, about five to seven staffers work in the rest house. "As a preventive measure, the rest house has now been closed and the cleaning staff are kept under quarantine. All the officers and families stayed in Rest house are informed to be on a lookout and be on alert for symptoms, if any. Details of people who stayed have been shared with the state government," a senior.

An order suspending the official, assistant personnel officer, was issued on Thursday with officials stating that a disciplinary proceeding has been initiated against the officer.
The official's mistake has brought unnecessary pressure on the railways and government officials who scrambled to trace the number of people who may have come in contact with those staying in the rest house as well as the staffers and their family.