Covid-19: 55-year-old cop dies of virus, Mumbai Police toll touches 31

The police said it is unclear how the head constable contracted the virus. He did not have any comorbidity, a senior police officer from the traffic branch said. The head constable’s close contacts are home quarantined.

A 55-year-old head constable attached to the Tardeo traffic division died of Covid-19 on Friday morning at KEM Hospital in Parel, where he was undergoing treatment since June 9 after complaining of difficulties in breathing, a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer said. The development was confirmed by Naval Bajaj, joint commissioner of police (administration).

However, the police also added that the number of recovered is more than those seeking treatment. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT file photo)

The police said it is unclear how the head constable contracted the virus. He did not have any comorbidity, a senior police officer from the traffic branch said. The head constable’s close contacts are home quarantined.

In the past seven days, nine police personnel died owing to Covid-19 in the city, taking the death toll in the force to 31. There were also 102 new Covid-19 cases reported from Mumbai Police in the past two days. “Until Friday, 2,349 personnel from city police have tested positive for the virus,” Pranaya Ashok, deputy commissioner of police (operations), said.

However, the police also added that the number of recovered is more than those seeking treatment. Till Saturday, 1,573 personnel recovered from the virus and only 746 are undergoing treatment, Ashok informed.

Senior police officers believe that quicker response, setting up four dedicated Covid Care Centres for the police, creating awareness about sanitisation, strictly adherence of social distancing norms and provision of financial and moral support to the personnel are some of the key reasons for the higher number of recovered personnel.

Need strict measures to control doubling rate in north Mumbai: Police

Vinoy Choubey, joint commissioner of police (law and order) on Friday held a meeting with additional commissioner Dilip Sawant, zonals DCPs, deputy civic commissioners and other civic officials, during which he instructed the authorities to take impose a strict lockdown in areas where the rate of infection is high, so as to control the doubling rate in north Mumbai. The police will now take strict action against those violating social distancing rules and roaming without masks. To restrict the movement of people in containment zones, more personnel from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) will be deployed, an officer said. In the past four days, more than 800 cases were registered against those flouting rules in north Mumbai.

(With inputs from Suraj Ojha)