ITBP seals camp after outbreak

nNEW DELHI: Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) suspect that a retired officer who died of Covid-19 may be one of the reasons behind others being infected as the number of cases in the unit where he stayed rose to 45 on Tuesday that forced it to seal the Tigri camp in Delhi, an ITBP officer requesting anonymity.

The decision to seal the camp was taken after 23 more men tested positive on Tuesday. The camp houses the ITBP 22nd battalion; it has a strength of around 1,000 personnel who are under observation and 76 in quarantine.

“We are trying to identify the source in the force but preliminary assessment is that a retired ITBP officer, who was staying at the camp and died due to Covid-19 on Sunday at Safdarjung Hospital could be the carrier,” the officer cited above said. ITBP suspects that some personnel may also have contracted the infection while performing law and order duties in different parts of Delhi.

ITBP reported its first Covid-19 case April 28. On Monday, the number reached 21 before it more than doubled to 45 on Tuesday; 43 of these were from the Tigri camp and the remaining two were stationed in Delhi’s Rohini.

“ITBP has started treating the corona positive personnel at 200 bedded CAPF Referral Hospital based in Greater Noida...,” the ITBP statement said.

The spike in infections in Central Armed Police Forces in the past week has raised concerns among the top brass, which has ordered troopers to maintain the highest levels of personal hygiene and follow social distancing norms at work.