Army announces home quarantine for its personnel at headquarters

NEW DELHI: The Indian Army on Friday announced a raft of measures to fight Covid-19, including home quarantine for soldiers posted at its headquarters in New Delhi and staggered office timings, and ordered a temporary freeze on postings and foreign assignments.

A fresh advisory on enhanced measures to prevent the spread of the disease said reduced attendance in offices at the Army Headquarters will be effective from Monday. The advisory said “35% of officers and 50% of junior commissioned officers/other ranks” would work from home, adhering to home quarantine for one week.

“The second group of soldiers is to proceed on home quarantine on March 30. Intermixing of groups is to be avoided. It shall be ensured personnel are available on telephone and over electronic means at all times for exigencies of work,” the advisory said. The Army Headquarters and establishments under it account for more than 5,000 soldiers including 1,000 officers, two army officials said on condition of anonymity.

To avoid crowding at entry and exit points, personnel attending office have been asked to adhere to staggered work timings: 9am to 5.30pm and 9.45am to 6.15pm.

The advisory was issued after army chief General

Manoj Mukund Naravane reviewed the force’s preparations to contain the spread of Covid-19 with important functionaries at the headquarters.

The advisory stated that neither were conferences to be conducted nor soldiers assigned on temporary duty till April 15. Also, soldiers who are on leave will continue to be on leave till April 15, it said.

“All service personnel (excluding Army Medical Corps) attending courses terminating prior to April 15 are to be retained at respective training institutions for which additional training programme is to be issued,” the advisory said. It also barred any movement of officers to/from any country of foreign assignment — whether on leave or completion of tenure — till April 15.

Annual medical examination/periodic medical examination of soldiers also stands postponed till April 15. Steps are also being taken to avoid crowding at army canteens.

The army has appealed to veterans and civilians living near cantonments and military stations to adhere to social distancing norms.

The army on Wednesday confirmed its first case of coronavirus disease — a 34-year-old soldier tested positive in Leh — and immediately banned entry and exit from the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre to prevent the spread of the disease.

The army’s first case of Covid-19 surfaced at a time when the three services are implementing several measures to prevent the spread of the disease among their ranks.

These measures include cancelling all non-essential training, conferences and travel, avoiding any assembly of more than 50 personnel, regular screening of individuals with symptoms, postponing of all courses for officers, deferring welfare gatherings and postponing recruitment rallies.

Asked to comment on the home quarantine for soldiers, former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General BS Jaswal (retd) said it was unprecedented but the army chief knows what he is doing and the measures recommended should be adhered to in order to fight the Covid-19 threat.

SINGH, ESPER SPEAK ABOUT COVID-19

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday spoke with his US counterpart Mark Esper on a range of issues including the “grave situation” arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic, a ministry spokesperson said. Both were confident that through “open communication and mutual support” the world could overcome the Covid-19 crisis.

Singh also briefed Esper about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to coordinate Covid-19 relief efforts in South Asia.