All 26 Indian Navy personnel who tested positive for Coronavirus put under quarantine

• As many as 26 serving personnel of Indian Navy have been tested positive for Coronavirus within naval premises in Mumbai.
• "More tests are in progress,” TOI reported citing sources.
• The officials are now conducting massive 'contact tracing' operation to contain the virus spread.
• However, they said that there are no traces of infection on the ships and submarines.

As many as 26 serving personnel of Indian Navy have been tested positive for Coronavirus within naval premises in Mumbai. “A sailor, who was in touch with an ex-serviceman, had first tested positive for Covid-19 on April 7. On aggressively checking and testing all his primary contacts, 25 other sailors have now been found to be positive. Most of them are asymptomatic. More tests are in progress,” TOI reported citing sources.

"This number includes 20 sailors of Indian Naval Ship Angre, a shore establishment at Mumbai," IANS reports. They were part of logistics establishment of Western Naval Command.

The officials are now conducting massive 'contact tracing' operation to contain the virus spread. It was found that most of these cases were 'asymptomatic' and have been traced to a single sailor who was tested positive on April 7. They all have been residing in the same accommodation block at INS Angre.

The patients have been admitted in naval hospital INHS Asvini in Mumbaia's Colaba after testing positive for Covid-19. "Entire living block was immediately put under quarantine. It has been made containment zone and Indian Naval Ship Angre too is under lockdown," said ministry source adding that all actions as per established COVID protocol are being taken.

However, the official have said that there are no traces of infection on the ships and submarines. "We are really the last bastion in the national effort against the pandemic," Indian Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh had said in his address.

For the Navy, Admiral Singh said that they have taken certain measures in consonance with the government, including stoppage of recruitment and training; freeze on movements and transfers; stoppage of work, except those related to national security, health and essential services.

This is the first Covid-19 case reported by Indian Navy while the Indian Army has reported eight positive virus cases. "We have only eight positive cases in the entire Indian Army. Of the eight, two are doctors and one nursing assistant. Four are responding well to the treatment," Army Chief General M.M. Naravane told IANS.

With inputs from IANS

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