Police prepare for potential Covid-19 outbreak in district

NOIDA: To discuss the preparedness of the Gautam Budh Nagar police department in case of an outbreak of the Covid-19 respiratory disease in the district, senior police officers met commissioner of police and started working on making a contingency plan.

“In most cases of emergencies, people end up calling the police. This makes us the first responders, putting our staff at high risk. We have to guard ourselves while providing people all necessary help,” additional commissioner of police Sriparna Gongulee said.

So far, a 45-year-old Delhi resident, who worked in a leather manufacturing unit in Sector 80 and had recently travelled to Italy for work, has tested positive for the virus and the test result of another factory worker is awaited.

The ACP also said that in case of a shutdown in the city, police personnel will ensure that necessary commodities are able to reach people. “We have to make sure that people get all the essential supplies. All this will be done in co-ordination with the health department and district administration,” she said.

Police officials said that they have been given necessary instructions to take care of their own personnel health specially when interacting with public.

“We are preparing for a potential emergency and have instructed all police personnel to use face masks while being out in the field, use hand sanitisers and maintain hygiene by washing hands with soap and water,” Gongulee said.