COVID-19: 45 CRPF soldiers of one battalion test positive in Delhi

Around 45 CRPF soldiers from 31st Battalion headquarters located in Delhi's Mayur Vihar have been infected with coronavirus. On Tuesday, Mohammad Ikram Hussain, who hailed from Barpeta district in Assam, had tested positive only five days back, died at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital.

New Delhi: At least 45 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel from the 31st battalion, including a sub-inspector rank official who died on Tuesday, have tested positive for COVID-19 in New Delhi.

"Around 1,100 CRPF personnel from the battalion in Delhi's Mayur Vihar have been quarantined and the results of other 257 jawans are awaited," said CRPF official. Another personnel from 194th battalion of its Rapid Action Force (RAF) was detected COVID-19 positive in Ahmedabad in Gujarat earlier this month, taking the number of infected force personnel to 46 across the country.

A 55-year-old Mohammad Ikram Hussain, who hailed from Barpeta district in Assam, had tested positive only five days back, died at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on Tuesday afternoon. Hussain was posted to CRPF’s 31st battalion in Mayur Vihar, Phase-3 in Delhi.

A CRPF official told ETV Bharat that a nursing attendant posted in 162 battalion of CRPF in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir was on leave when the lockdown was announced and due to shortage of the medical staff, the CRPF medical directorate gave orders that medical staff who were stuck because of the lockdown could join the nearest unit.

"After these orders, Noida-based head constable joined the 31st battalion in Mayur Vihar on April 7. But after joining, he started showing COVID-19 symptoms and tested positive on April 21. The next day, he was taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital, Rohini, where he is still undergoing treatment," he said.

CRPF official said that most of the personnel who came in contact with the nursing attendant have tested positive and they are being treated at a facility in the capital's Mandoli.