Three more policemen test Covid-19 positive, 31 cops infected with Covid-19 till now

Joint commissioner of police (northern range) Manish Kumar Aggarwal said that the head constable was sent for testing on Thursday as he showed symptoms of cough and fever.

A Delhi Police head constable, who was posted at outer Delhi’s Alipur, on Friday tested positive for Covid-19, triggering panic among his colleagues since his place of posting or duty was not in any of the city’s 92 containment or ‘red’ zones.

Police suspect the head constable may have contracted the infection from someone in Jahangirpuri, where he lives. (Ajay Aggarwal/HT file photo. Representative image)

Until Friday evening, 31 Delhi police personnel had tested positive for Covid-19. Police suspect the head constable may have contracted the infection from someone in Jahangirpuri, where he lives. Jahangirpuri in north west Delhi has reported several cases and has six containment zones.

“There is a possibility that he may have come in contact with an infected person in Jahangirpuri while travelling between his home and workplace. It’s a matter of concern because many police personnel live in or around the containment zones in Delhi-NCR. They commute daily from such areas to reach their place of duty,” said a senior police officer.

Joint commissioner of police (northern range) Manish Kumar Aggarwal said that the head constable was sent for testing on Thursday as he showed symptoms of cough and fever. “The policeman’s test result on Friday confirmed that he had been infected with the disease. His residence is in Jahangirpuri but not in any of the containment zones,” said Aggarwal.

Between Thursday and Friday, two more constables from central Delhi also tested positive for the virus. Police said both the constables were asymptomatic but their samples were taken as they were posted in the areas from where positive Covid-19 cases had been reported in the last fortnight.

Deputy commissioner of police (central) Sanjay Bhatia said the constables were posted at the Nabi Karim and Jama Masjid police stations respectively. “The two constables are young and had no symptoms of the infection. They have been shifted to a quarantine facility where they will remain under medical observation,” said DCP Bhatia, adding that screening of more than 200 police personnel from the district has already been done.

The central district is one the worst-hit areas in the city. The Chandni Mahal police station has been sealed after many cases of Covid-19 were reported. The police officers of Chandni Mahal station are currently working from the Jama Masjid police station building.

Meanwhile, a letter issued from the Delhi police commissioner SN Shrivastava’s office on Friday said that financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh is being granted from Delhi Police Welfare Society to personnel, who were infected with the virus during duty. In the wake of rising Covid-19 caes among police personnel, Shrivastava has appointed six senior joint commissioner rank officers to visit police stations across the city every day and ensure that police are ensuring social distancing norms. The six officers have to submit their report to the police chief every evening.