As many as 12 police personnel of the Telangana State Special Police (TSSP)’s 6th Battalion at Chathakonda near Kothagudem tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, sending ripples across the industrial hub of the district.
Medical and Health department sources said that the test results of a total of 12 constables of the TSSP 6th Battalion were positive.
All the 12 policemen returned to the battalion on Friday, after attending bandobust duties at Amberpet and various other police station limits in Hyderabad, sources added.
It is suspected that they contracted the infection while performing duties in Hyderabad, which is grappling with a rising tide of COVID cases. The infected were placed under quarantine and contact tracing to identify their primary and secondary contacts, as per the standard protocol, has been initiated, sources added.
The industrial hub of Palvancha has witnessed a sudden spurt in COVID-19 cases in the past week.
As many as seven persons of Palvancha town and its surrounding localities were diagnosed with the dreaded virus, three days ago.
A constable and a sub-inspector of police of Kothagudem sub-division were reportedly tested positive, a few days ago.
Collector M.V. Reddy monitored the preventive measures with mandal level officials through a video conference from his office at the Collectorate in Kothagudem on Saturday. He asked officials to intensify disease surveillance and control measures across the district.
He also urged people to bring incidents of violation of home quarantine norms, if any, to the notice of the staff manning the control room at the Collectorate by calling at 08744 241950.