COVID-19: Indian Coffee House in Shimla closed after employee skips quarantine, test

The Indian Coffee House in Shimla has been closed till further orders after one of its employees skipped COVID-19 testing and quarantine after returning from Delhi in an unauthorised manner on Saturday, an official said.

The Indian Coffee House in Shimla has been closed till further orders after one of its employees skipped COVID-19 testing and quarantine after returning from Delhi in an unauthorised manner on Saturday, an official said. The employee arrived here from Delhi, a COVID-19 red zone, on Saturday and reached the coffee house's kitchen, a Shimla district official said.

The manager of the Indian Coffee House asked the employee to get himself quarantined and tested for the novel coronavirus before joining duty, but he allegedly refused to do so, he said. The police were informed and subsequently, the employee was institutionally quarantined and an FIR was also registered against him, the official said.

His samples have been sent for COVID-19 testing, he added. The employee reached Shimla from Delhi in an unauthorised manner by dodging police at the Parwanoo barrier, the official said.

After reaching Himachal Pradesh, he boarded a Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus to reach Shimla, he added. Members of the coffee house staff who came in contact with him have also been quarantined, the official said.

The Indian Coffee House, located in the heart of Shimla city, has hosted several personalities and prominent leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited it in 2017.