PMC to deploy 1,400 ‘SPOs’ to track people

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to deploy 1,488 special police officers to boost its contact tracing in the city.
Officials from the civic body said they plan to form 748 contact tracing teams, with two SPOs each, to trace high and low-risk contacts of Covid-19 patients.
A PMC official said these SPOs will be given basic training on how to trace, approach and interview close contacts. Easing anxiety will be key. Currently, the PMC has deployed sanitation inspectors and staff from ward offices to trace contacts. They have so far traced over 3.47 lakh contacts: 1.08 lakh high-risk and 2.39 lakh low-risk contacts.
Each of these new SPOs will be given an ID card and protective gear.
Special police officers are usually citizens who have been picked and assigned duties that aid the city’s efforts. Many SPOs are already involved in Covid-related work such as health surveys and management of isolation units.