Six policemen test Covid +ve

RANCHI: Entry of common people to Ranchi’s five police stations -Argora, Bariatu, Dhurwa, Hindpiri and Chutia -- has been prohibited after six personnel from these stations found infected with Coronavirus on Friday. The police personnel, who came in contact with infected persons, also undergone a medical check-up on Sunday, the police said.

Those who are coming with complaints have to submit their applications at outer gate of the police stations or drop box. The arrangement was made so that routine works at the police stations does not hamper.

“We have stopped entry of the people inside the five police stations for now. We are drafting a viable SOP (standard operating procedure) in this regard and it will come into effect in a day or two,” said superintendent of police (City), Saurabh.

When asked if these police stations will be sealed or declared containment zone, the city SP said, “I don’t think declaring police stations as containment zones is required. It is declared to a public place where people stay.”

He said they have traced out all the persons who came in contact with infected persons. “If they turned negative, what is the point to declare them (police stations) as containment zone,” he said.

He said the medical checkup of police personnel at Bariatu police station has come to an end. “The exercise is on in other four stations and it will be completed by today itself,” he said. He added the police stations are also being sanitized.

State health department on Sunday conducted a medical checkup and took swab samples of police personnel from five police stations, who had come in contact with the infected persons.

“The police department after contact tracing had handed over a list of around 200 people, mostly police personnel, for medical check-up. We are taking swab of all the people mentioned in the list from five police stations,” said Ranchi civil surgeon VB Prasad.