PATNA: At least four companies of Bihar Military Police (BMP), which were deployed in Patna, have been withdrawn from field duty as a precautionary measure after six Covid-19 positive cases in the 14th battalion were reported till Friday evening.
Apart from the BMP-14, the campus located near the Patna airport houses the headquarters of BMP-5 and BMP-10 battalions too. Officers’ quarters are also inside the campus spread over several acres.
While the first case was that of a retired havildar, who tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, five other personnel who came in contact with him inside the barracks also contracted the virus.
The BMP premises was inspected by DGP Gupteswar Pandey, DIG Garima Malik, DM Kumar Ravi, SSP Upendra Kumar Sharma and several other senior officers to take stock of the situation as more than 500 personnel and their families live inside the campus.
ADG (headquarters) Jitendra Kumar said at least four companies of BMP which were involved in regular law and order duty in Patna, have been directed to remain inside the campus. “An alternate plan would be chalked out for deployment in their place,” ADG added.
He further said it was early to say if the retired havildar was the first one or anyone else to bring the infection inside the campus. “Things would become clear after further investigation,” he added.
According to the Patna DM, 53 test samples were collected on Saturday of which 22 were of command hospital staff and rest were of BMP-14 personnel. “The collected samples were of those who were in contact with the five positive personnel,” he said.
“First priority are those who were in direct contact with the positive patients. Those BMP-14 personnel are in second level priority who have comorbidities like cancer, kidney disease, diabetes while third are those who are aged above 50 years from the core area in and around the barrack where the retired havildar lived,” Ravi said.
The DM said instructions have been issued that those BMP-14 personnel who were living in the affected barracks or nearby should refrain from going outside the campus.
“Officers inside the campus have been asked to sensitize the personnel about social distancing. They have also been asked to emphasise on personal sanitization after anyone returns from duty,” the DM said.
Apart from the BMP-14, the campus located near the Patna airport houses the headquarters of BMP-5 and BMP-10 battalions too. Officers’ quarters are also inside the campus spread over several acres.
While the first case was that of a retired havildar, who tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, five other personnel who came in contact with him inside the barracks also contracted the virus.
The BMP premises was inspected by DGP Gupteswar Pandey, DIG Garima Malik, DM Kumar Ravi, SSP Upendra Kumar Sharma and several other senior officers to take stock of the situation as more than 500 personnel and their families live inside the campus.
ADG (headquarters) Jitendra Kumar said at least four companies of BMP which were involved in regular law and order duty in Patna, have been directed to remain inside the campus. “An alternate plan would be chalked out for deployment in their place,” ADG added.
He further said it was early to say if the retired havildar was the first one or anyone else to bring the infection inside the campus. “Things would become clear after further investigation,” he added.
According to the Patna DM, 53 test samples were collected on Saturday of which 22 were of command hospital staff and rest were of BMP-14 personnel. “The collected samples were of those who were in contact with the five positive personnel,” he said.
“First priority are those who were in direct contact with the positive patients. Those BMP-14 personnel are in second level priority who have comorbidities like cancer, kidney disease, diabetes while third are those who are aged above 50 years from the core area in and around the barrack where the retired havildar lived,” Ravi said.
The DM said instructions have been issued that those BMP-14 personnel who were living in the affected barracks or nearby should refrain from going outside the campus.
“Officers inside the campus have been asked to sensitize the personnel about social distancing. They have also been asked to emphasise on personal sanitization after anyone returns from duty,” the DM said.
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