Bengaluru, Jun 19 (IANS): Karnataka's mini secretariat Vikas Soudha, adjacent to the Vidhana Soudha, would remain shut on Friday for sanitisation, as an employee working there tested Covid positive, an official said on Thursday.

"All offices in the 3-floor Vikas Soudha will remain closed on Friday for sanitisation as a government employee tested positive on Wednesday," a civic official said.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which is entrusted with the task of containing the corona virus spread, has already started sanitising a portion of the building in the city centre.

"All employees working in various departments located in the building are exempted from reporting to duty on Friday (June 19) and can work from home," said the official.

After the Food and Civil Supplies Department official tested positive, all offices on the ground floor of the mini-secretariat were sealed and sanitised.

The city registered 17 fresh cases on Thursday, taking the total number of positive cases to 844. With 14 discharged earlier in the day, 384 have been cured of the infection, while 408 are under treatment.

Of the 114 Covid deaths across the southern state since March 10, Bengaluru accounted for 51 till date.