77 Mumbai cops test positive after 3,446 undergo rapid antigen test

Seventy-seven policemen from the Mumbai Police have tested positive for Covid-19 after 3,446 of its personnel underwent the rapid antigen testing, the police said

Seventy-seven policemen from the Mumbai Police have tested positive for Covid-19 after 3,446 of its personnel underwent the rapid antigen testing, the police said on Wednesday.

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So far nearly 3,800 policemen from Mumbai police have tested positive for Covid-19 and 54 have succumbed to the disease. Over the past four days, around 726 police personnel from across the state have tested positive with five fatalities, taking the total death toll across state police force to 98.

In a bid to cover maximum police personnel and early detection of infection in the force, the top brass of the city police department decided to test its personnel through rapid antigen testing.

In the first phase of antigen testing, the authority has decided to send only those policemen for antigen testing who are from the 44-55 age group.

Naval Bajaj, joint commissioner of police (administration), confirmed that 308 officers and 3,171 constabulary personnel have undergone the testing and 77 personnel have tested positive.

Of the infected personnel, those with symptoms and comorbidities would not be allowed home quarantine and would have to undergo treatment at Covid hospitals or in the four dedicated police Covid care centres.

So far, police stations in the east region have reported the most Covid-19 cases with 27 positives, followed by west, central and south regions with 21, 17 and 12 cases, respectively.

In west region, nine policemen from Khar police station including the head of the police station tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. Since the infected senior inspector is asymptomatic, he has quarantined himself at his home while five policemen with symptoms were admitted to Lilavati Hospital.

An inspector and an investigating officer of actor Salman Khan’s hit-and-run case who is currently posted at Vile Parle police station has also tested positive.

According to the police department, personnel from the local arms divisions (the reserve police force of city police) have the maximum Covid infection cases.

Among the 94 city police stations, LT Marg police station has the highest number of cases with 57 positives, followed by Sir JJ Marg and Marine Drive police stations with 46 and 43 cases, respectively.

Speaking about the status of infection in the entire state police force, Vinayak Deshmukh, assistant inspector general of police (law and order) said that of the total 8,958 infected policemen from the state police force, 6,962 have already recovered.

“Many recovered police personnel have also resumed duty as cops are not afraid of the disease,” Deshmukh said.