Google asks staff to work from home after employee in Bengaluru office tests positive for coronavirus

The internet giant, which is one of the “Big Four” technology companies alongside Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft, has been cancelling any big events for a while to ensure the safety of its from the virus outbreak…

In what comes as the fourth known case of coronavirus infection among tech workers, an employee at the Google LLC in Bengaluru has been tested positive for COVID-19, the tech giant informed on Friday. Before this, three positive cases of infection were also found with employees of PayTM, Dell India, and Mindtree.

“We can confirm that an employee from our Bangalore office has been diagnosed with COVID-19. They were in one of our Bangalore offices for a few hours before developing any symptoms,” reports quoted a Google spokesperson.

It is being rumoured that the employee contracted the disease after travelling overseas. Google has asked those who had been in close contact with the employee to quarantine themselves, adding that others are to work from their homes for the days ahead.

Earlier, the American multinational technology company issued an official advisory after a Google employee at Switzerland’s Zurich tested positive for coronavirus infection. Employees have been restricted from travelling to China, Iran, and Italy, and all of its staff in North America have been asked to work from home till April 10.

It remains to be seen whether this specific set of instruction is extended to Google’s offices across Asia as well, especially as it has been done for the Middle East and Africa.

The internet giant, which is one of the “Big Four” technology companies alongside Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft, has been cancelling any big events for a while to ensure the safety of its from the virus outbreak. According to reports, even the Google I/O developer conference, scheduled later this year, has been cancelled.