COVID spreading fast within Delhi Police, at least 1,700 cops now positive for virus

New Delhi: A whopping 1,700 Delhi Police personnel have now tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection in this third wave of the pandemic that is tearing through the Capital, officials said on Wednesday.

"A total of 1,700 personnel of the force have tested positive for the infection from January 1 to January 12. All of them are doing fine and are under quarantine. They will be joining duty after recovery," a senior police officer said. The strength of the Delhi Police force is over 80,000, police said.

In a meeting held on Tuesday with senior officers of the districts and other units, the officers had been strictly instructed to brief their personnel to take care of themselves and follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for prevention of coronavirus amid rising cases amongst the force, police said.

"We have issued detailed SOPs in this regard and have listed the preventive measures to be taken. In Tuesday's meeting, all the officers were asked to take care of themselves and the force to conduct briefings of staffers regularly and instructing them to follow the issued SOP strictly.

Being frontline workers, they are bound to perform their duties so they should do it with full precautions," Shalini Singh, Special Commissioner of Police (Welfare) asserted.

She further stressed that officers have been instructed to strictly convey to their personnel about importance of following social distancing, wearing masks and maintaining hand hygiene while on duty. "We have also told the personnel that social distancing should be maintained while they are in their respective barracks and mess. They have been asked to sanitise their keys after their shift while they handover the vehicles to the next shift in charge," the officer noted.

"All police personnel are also informed about the counsellors available for providing Covid-related counseling and for uplifting the mental health of the personnel and their families. They have been provided with names and contact details of the counsellors who would be available for them," Singh said.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Chinmoy Biswal, who is also the spokesperson of the force, had also tested positive for the infection. He is currently doing fine and under quarantine.