Chhattisgarh Police ramps up Covid-19 testing after 8 cops found positive

Director general of police DM Awasthi said around 5,000 tests have been conducted, including rapid tests, and some reports are pending.

Chhattisgarh Police has ramped up testing for Covid-19 among personnel deployed in quarantine centres and containment zones across the state after eight policemen tested positive for the Coronavirus in four districts in 10 days.

Police personnel returning from leave will have to undergo home quarantine, while personnel of central police forces coming back from leave are being sent into institutional quarantine for a fortnight.(PTI)

Director general of police DM Awasthi said around 5,000 tests have been conducted, including rapid tests, and some reports are pending.

“Police personnel are working day and night in quarantine centres and containment zones, risking their health, and hence continuous testing is going on,” he said.

According to figures from the police department, three policemen tested positive in Raipur district, two each in Mungeli and Surajpur districts and one in Durg district.

Police personnel returning from leave will have to undergo home quarantine, while personnel of central police forces coming back from leave are being sent into institutional quarantine for a fortnight.

State health secretary Niharika Barik Singh has written to senior officials of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Services Selection Board (SSB) to ensure compliance with quarantine protocols.

Officials said directions have been issued that whenever personnel return to Chhattisgarh from some other state, authorities must ensure they are compulsorily quarantined for 14 days. Information about them should be given to district collectors and health tests must be conducted on them.

“Arrangements for institutional quarantine have been made by the central forces deployed in Chhattisgarh and the protocol is strictly followed,” said Awasthi.