Mumbai, May 7 () As many as 531 Maharashtra policepersonnel, including 51 officers, have tested positive forCOVID-19 so far, an official said on Thursday.
Among these infected police personnel, 480 areconstables, who are being treated at various hospitals in thestate, the official said.
Out of the 531 coronavirus positive police personnel,39, including eight officers, have recovered from the disease,he said.
So far, five policemen have died due to the virus, theoffical said.
Earlier in the day, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh saidthat 487 policemen have tested COVID-19 positive in the stateever since the nationwide lockdown came into force.
The lockdown was imposed on March 24 and has beenextended till May 17 to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Taking to Twitter, Deshmukh said, "487 policepersonnel have tested positive for COVID-19 since thelockdown."
Meanwhile, the official said the Maharashtra Policehave registered at least 96,231 offences so far under section188 of the IPC for violation of lockdown-related norms andarrested 18,858 people.
The IPC section 188 deals with disobedience to orderduly promulgated by public servant.
Since the lockdown, there had been 189 incidents ofassault on policemen (till May 7) in which 73 personnel and ahome guard sustained injuries, the official said, adding atleast 683 persons had been arrested for these attacks.
Around 30 health professionals had been also attackedduring this period, the official said.
Police have traced at least 649 people, who violatedquarantine norms in the state, excluding the financialcapital, the official said.
At least 85,309 phone calls were handled by variouspolice control rooms across the state in connection with thevirus, he said.
Police have registered 1,281 offences of illegaltransport and seized 53,330 vehicles which had come on roadsin violation of lockdown rules, the officail said.
A fine of Rs 3.56 crore has been collected fromviolators by the police for various offences during thisperiod, he said.
Earlier, in a series of tweets, Deshmukh said3,10,694 passes have been issued for essential serviceproviders and those caught in emergencies till now.
The minister said that 2,24,219 people have beenisolated in the state for possible exposure to the coronavirusand 649 were found to be violating quarantine norms.
"The state govt's running 4,738 relief camps where4,35,030 migrant labourers have been given refuge with food &necessities. 1,281 offences have been registered for illegaltransport," he said on the micro-blogging site. DC ENM NPRSY RSY