Coronavirus: 28 Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel test positive for COVID-19

Some ITBP units moved to Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, from Jammu last month after the violent clash between the Indian Army and Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) which claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers

Shimla: A total of 28 personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Thursday (July 2).

Six of these COVID-19 positive personnel were reported in Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh.

Narendra Chouhan, Sub Divisional Magistrate Rampur (Shimla), said, "Six ITBP jawans have tested positive here, samples were collected yesterday. They've been sent to COVID care centre in Mashobra."

With this number the total number of cases in ITBP crossed the 1,000-mark.

Seventeen jawans were tested positive at Jangi base of the ITBP in Kinnaur district and six at Juri base in Rampur Bushahar of Shimla district.

The jawans are of the 43rd battalion of ITBP which is deployed in Kinnaur district along the Indo-China border.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday said that 4,938 police personnel in the state have so far tested positive for the coronavirus, and 60 have died, PTI reported. The minister said that 38 of the 60 personnel were from the Mumbai Police. As many as 3,813 personnel have recovered, he added.

As many as 3,813 of the 4,938 infected police personnel have recovered from COVID-19 disease while over 1,000 others are currently under treatment, the home minister said in a statement.

Deshmukh said experts are being consulted to formulate a response to the rising number of cases within the Maharashtra Police. “We are consulting experts on the subject and their inputs will soon be brought into action,” Deshmukh said.

“The strategy to tackle the infection among cops is being revised. We are considering different ways to bring changes in the daily functioning of the police force to ensure the risk is minimised,” he added.