Ponda police station shut after 3 personnel test COVID-19 positive

Ponda: Gates of the Ponda police station were shut for public on Wednesday after three of its staff tested positive for COVID-19. The three COVID-19 positive staff members include a police inspector and two police constables.

According to medical superintendent of Sub-District Hospital, Ponda Dr Kuvelkar, taking note of COVID-19 symptoms, two police constables – one each from Sakhalim and Borim were tested on Tuesday and on Wednesday their results came positive.

Following this, a PI too was tested early in the morning of Wednesday as he developed COVID-19 symptoms and his result too came positive after which all three police personnel have been sent in COVID care centre at Shiroda for treatment.

Meanwhile, swab samples of around 165 police personnel from the police station have been tested with 60 coming negative and results of others is awaited, Dr Kuvelkar said.

Following the news of the police staff testing COVID-19 positive, gates of police station were shut for the public and sanitisation was done with the help of fire personnel.

All personnel of the police station have been asked to stay in the police station premises until their results are not declared, police officials said.

Taking note of the three police personnel testing positive, Ponda MLA Ravi Naik has urged people of Ponda not to panic. Instead of panicking people should take more precautions while coming out of their houses, he said.

“Now is the time we take precautions more seriously and understand the criticality of the situation. We need to maintain social distance and wear mask whenever in public places. If the spike keeps on increasing our health care system will be overwhelmed and many would be left without care,” Ravi Naik said.