The total number of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who tested positive for COVID-19 rose to 122 on Saturday, May 2, officials said. The personnel belong to the 31st battalion deployed in Mayur Vihar phase III area in Delhi. They have been taken to different hospitals in Delhi for further treatment.
On Friday, 12 personnel in the battalion tested positive. Meanwhile, test results of 100 others are yet to come. Earlier, 46 personnel had tested positive for COVID-19, following which the area has been completely sealed off.
A head constable who had joined the battalion after coming back from his home in Noida is believed to be the primary source of the infection in the battalion. The nursing assistant had tested positive on April 21.
A 55-year-old sub-inspector of the 3.25 lakh strong central paramilitary force had succumbed to the deadly virus on Tuesday, April 28. On the same day, 12 personnel were also declared positive for the virus.
On Sunday, April 26, 15 personnel were declared positive for COVID-19, including one Assistant Sub-Inspector and four head constables from the battalion whose nine personnel had already confirmed positive on April 24.
It was mandatory for personnel who had exposure to a corona infected person or was joining back from leave to be in a 14-day quarantine. However, officials said that it recently came to the notice that the medical wing of the paramilitary force issued a separate notice on April 17, stating that doctors and paramedics could be taken off the quarantine if they do not show symptoms of the virus after five days.
The high number of personnel getting infected in a single battalion rung alarm bells, after the ‘dichotomous’ orders came to light. The Union Ministry has also taken note of the matter and has sought an explanation from the CRPF chief on the circumstances due to which the spread could not be contained, reported NDTV.
The CRPF is the country’s largest paramilitary wing and is deployed as the lead internal security force of the country and for conducting anti-Naxal operations and counter-terrorist operations.
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