15 policemen of one station in Hyd test +ve for Covid

As many as 15 policemen of Banjara Hills police station in Hyderabad have tested positive for Covid-19.

While a sub-inspector and nine constables tested positive on Thursday, five more were found infected on Friday.

Those who tested positive on Friday include a sub-inspector, two constables and two home guards, sources said.

All those tested positive have been admitted to state-run Gandhi Hospital, where a special ward has been set up for police personnel.

This is the first incident of such a large number of policemen testing positive from a single police station. It sent the alarm bells ringing in the police circles.

The police station, located in the posh Banjara Hills neighbourhood, has 150 personnel. At least 50 of them have so far undergone the test.

About 20 police personnel were found Covid-19 positive since Thursday. The number of policemen infected by the dreaded virus has crossed 100. A 37-year-old constable from Kulsumpura police station had succumbed to Covid-19 last month.

The policemen were reportedly infected while performing their duties in containment zones.

Earlier, Director-General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy asked police personnel not feeling well to take rest.

The police chief said while implementing lockdown at various places in the state, some police personnel were likely to get infected by Covid-19. "On such exposure, personnel may require rest, quarantine, consultation and treatment," he said.

The DGP instructed the district Superintendents of Police and Commissioners of Police to ensure that official permission was given to all staff and officers to take rest without insisting for sanction of any leave when they are not feeling well.

The staff or officers, who are sick, can take rest by being under quarantine either at home or in a government hospital to prevent further spread of the Covid-19 virus to other police personnel, the police chief said.