Police strengthen preventive measures after six personnel test positive

Ranchi: Alarmed by the detection of six Covid-19 positive personnel, the police department on Saturday took up contingency steps, including sanitisation of affected police stations and contact-tracing exercise to prevent further spread of the disease.
One policeman each from Dhurva, Hindpiri, Bariyatu, Chutia and Argora stations and another from the police line were found positive on Friday. The cases were detected during a random checking of policemen recently.
DGP MV Rao said, "We are on a lookout for persons who came in close contact with them."
Ranchi SSP Surendra Kumar Jha said, "The affected persons have been isolated and sent to the Covid-designated treatment centre. The police are carrying out contact tracing of each of them so that samples of people at risk could be tested. The positive personnel will be quarantined until their reports are negative. In addition, a fumigation drive has been undertaken in the affected police stations."
Sources said collection of samples and testing of the personnel started early on Saturday.
Among the policemen who tested positive, one was primarily involved in interacting with the public at the Bariyatu police station. A senior police official said it is unlikely that people who came across infected policeman for a brief moment would become ill. He said the standard operating procedure would be followed in the case, adding that only after the personnel tested negative, they would be allowed to join duty.
Following the incident, precautionary measures were strengthened at the Chutia police station. After fumigation, bleaching powder was strewn all over the campus. People were also prevented from entering the station building. The main gates of Argora police station were also closed even as people were allowed to enter from another gate. Bleaching powder was seen sprinkled all over the place.