Nine police officers in Odisha test positive for COVID-19

BHUBANESWAR/KALAHANDI: Around nine police personnel have been infected by coronavirus in Kalahandi district in the last five days.Kalahandi SP Saravana Vivek on Monday met the infected personnel and inquired about their health condition. “Four personnel of Kesinga police station and five others have been infected between April 15 and 19. They have mild symptoms and are under isolation,” the SP informed. All the infected personnel have received both the doses of the vaccines.

Police suspect that the four personnel of Kesinga possibly got infected after some of them travelled together in a car recently. Those infected are of different ranks like inspectors, sub-inspector, home guards and others. They have been provided Covid wellness kits. The SP said a 35-bed Covid care centre in Bhawanipatna town is being readied exclusively for the police personnel. 

About 62,706 cops had registered to receive the vaccines. Of them, 55,651 personnel received both doses and 59,293 got the first dose till April 15. Till March 5 this year, 8,905 police personnel had tested positive in Odisha, 8,857 had recovered and 8,855 joined their duties. Around 48 personnel have lost their lives while fighting the pandemic as frontline workers.