MAPUSA
A biometric thumbprint scanner to record staff attendance at an education office in Mapusa has been linked to 12 Covid cases, with one of them succumbing to the disease.
The incident took place shortly after the State government decided to resume the practice of using biometric thumbprint scanners to record staff attendance at government offices from November 1, a practice which has been suspended during the period of a high number of Covid cases across the State.
When the biometric thumbprint scanner was restarted at an education office in North Goa, one staffer tested Covid positive on November 12. Over the next six days, 12 other staffers also tested Covid positive after they are reported to have used the same biometric thumbprint scanner.
Shrihari Satardekar (59) was one of the 12 staffers who had tested positive for the virus.
On account of the Diwali holidays, Satardekar, his wife, who teaches at a school in Mapusa and their family had gone to their native place in Sawantwadi, where the entire family also tested positive for Covid.
Satardekar was undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Oros, Sindhudurg and breathed his last on Wednesday afternoon.
Incidentally, Satardekar was to retire within the next 3-4 months and his death has shocked colleagues at the education office.
