As many as 46 personnel at the State Police Academy also tested positive at Karai in Gandhinagar in the past four days. (Representational)The deputy municipal officer of health (MOH) of Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) and 11 staff members of the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) in Rajkot were among the 1,344 fresh coronavirus cases reported in Gujarat on Friday. Rajkot also reported the death of a police constable due to Covid-19.
RMC Deputy MOH Dr Pankaj Rathod and 11 staff members of the GSRTC were among the 99 persons who tested positive for the Covid-19 in Rajkot on Friday, taking the city’s tally to 4,249. Eleven of 484 employees of the Rajkot depot of the GSRTC, including two bus drivers and two conductors, also tested positive.
“We conducted tests of all drivers, conductors, mechanics and administrative staff of the Rajkot depot. Of them, 11 tested positive for Covid-19,” said Yogesh Pate, Rajkot divisional controller of the GSRTC.
Meanwhile, Pradyumansinh Gohil (47), a police constable who was posted in the control room of the Rajkot city police, died while undergoing treatment for the viral infection on Friday evening. He is the first policeman of Rajkot city to die while undergoing treatment for coronavirus.
Sources said that Gohil was among seven policemen posted in the control room who had tested positive for Covid-19 a few days ago. Initially, he was under home quarantine, but was later admitted to state government-run Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Hospital.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) reported positive cases from a construction site — Savvy Swaraj — in Chandlodia area, as well as from the Nirma labour colony near Nirma University, with both areas declared micro containment zones. Further, 22 train passengers who arrived at Kalupur railway station, of the 1,885 passengers who deboarded, tested positive. The maximum cases were detected among Rajdhani Express passengers — 12 of the 840 passengers who arrived.
As many as 46 personnel at the State Police Academy also tested positive at Karai in Gandhinagar in the past four days.
According to senior officials posted at the academy, the 46 personnel who have tested positive are trainees from the rank of Lok Rakshak Dal (LRD) jawans to police inspector ranks. Till Thursday, a total of 36 personnel had tested positive. NN Chaudhari, principal at the State Police Academy said, “The police academy has not been shut down yet. We have ensured that all 46 personnel tested positive are under home isolation.”
With Surat reporting more cases from Rander zone and Athwa zone, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) sealed its vegetable market at Palanpur Patia. On Friday alone, 50 positive cases were reported in Athwa zone and 28 positive cases in Rander zone.
SMC Rander zonal head CY Bhatt said, “The SMC has instructed all street food hawkers to keep their businesses shut for two days – Saturday and Sunday. We have come to know that Covid protocol was not being followed.”
Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) detected eight auto rickshaw drivers in Surat Covid-19 positive among the 1,129 tested. SMC also tested 1,190 cashiers and accountants of private firms and banks, of which 10 were found to be super-spreaders.
SMC Commissioner BN Pani said, “We have stationed 124 Dhanvantri Raths at different entry and exit points of Surat city, railway station, bus depot, etc., as migrant workers are returning from their native places. After health screening via pulse oximeters and thermal guns, if any labourer shows symptoms, our team does a RAT test.”