The Senior Special Magistrate of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) sealed a well-known chain store in Islamabad, Tehzeeb Bakery in Blue Area, on Wednesday after six of its employees tested positive for the Hepatitis C Virus. (HCV).
After the CDA’s health directorate found that six employees tested positive for HCV during testing last month, Special Magistrate Sardar Asif sealed the bakery.
The health directorate had requested to the bakery owner to send diseased staff on leave since they were unable to work, but the owner refused.
The health directorate took the issue to the Special Magistrate’s court, and the court ordered the bakery to be sealed on Tuesday.
The operation was led by the magistrate and a CDA team.
It was closed because two infected employees, including a sales manager, were there.
According to the notice issued at the outlet, the CDA’s health directorate performed tests on the Tehzeeb Bakery Blue Area staff and discovered that six employees tested positive for Hepatitis.
The health authorities told the bakery’s management about the findings and asked them to place the afflicted staff on leave, but the management refused.
The court took up the case and argued that if the afflicted employees were not placed on leave, it might lead to the spread of HVC among the general population.
Therefore, the court ordered the bakery to close to prevent an outbreak.
Director of Tehzeeb Bakers
Chaudhry Rashid Ali, the Director of Tehzeeb Bakers, disclosed that four infected employees had tested positive and sent home last month.
However, the responsible officer at the outlet prevented the remaining two infected employees from being sent home to the bakery management’s attention.
This deception resulted in the bakery’s closure.
According to Chaudhry Rashid Ali, Director of Tehzeeb Bakers, the remaining two employees were also sent on leave.
He added that the two people had no involvement in baking or handling food, therefore there was no risk of illness transmission.
During his visit to the shuttered bakery, Chaudhry Mohammad Farooq, President of the Restaurant Association, criticised the CDA’s handling of the incident. He criticised the usage of a charge-sheet type order rather than a brief sealing order, which might have a detrimental influence on the firm.
The proprietor of the establishment stated that the six affected employees had no involvement in food handling.
Additionally, four of the employees were sent home last month, and the remaining two were placed on leave.
