Armed force suspends war games and training activities, strengthens check and prevention mechanism
A batch of Indians evacuated from Iran reach the Indian Army Wellness Facility at Jaisalmer Mil Station for their mandatory quarantine period. Pic/PTI
The Indian Army reported its first case of Coronavirus after a 34-year-old soldier of Ladakh Scout regiment tested positive for the COVID-19, prompting the force to strengthen its check and prevention mechanism and suspend war games and training activities, as the total number of cases rose to 151 in the country on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan said the total number of Indians infected by Coronavirus abroad is 276 — 255 in Iran, 12 in UAE, five in Italy, and one each in Hong Kong, Kuwait, Rwanda and Sri Lanka.
Incidentally, Muraleedharan on Tuesday announced that he has quarantined himself at his residence in the national capital as a precautionary measure after a medical institute he had visited recently in south India reported a COVID-19 case. Though, he had tested negative for the infection. A 34-year-old soldier from the Ladakh Scout regiment tested positive for the infection, Army sources said, adding the soldier, a resident of Chuhot village in Leh, came in contact with his father, who had returned from a pilgrimage in Iran on February 20 and tested positive.
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The soldier was on leave from February 25 and rejoined duty on March 2, sources said, adding he was quarantined on March 7 and tested positive on March 16. Even the soldier's brother has tested positive. While 14 fresh cases of Coronavirus were reported since Tuesday, the first case in the armed forces prompted the Army to further strengthen its check and prevention mechanism by taking additional steps, including checking soldiers for flu symptoms on their return from leave, and cancelling non-essential travel and conferences. The Army also announced suspension of wargames, conferences and training activities.The total tally of 151 include 25 foreign nationals and the three persons who died after getting the infection, which has killed 7,500 people globally and infected nearly 2,00,000 others.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan directed teams to visit quarantine facilities to assess and monitor amenities as the ministry maintained that over 5,700 people, who had come in contact with these positive cases, are under rigorous surveillance. According to the ministry's data, 14 people have been discharged so far, including the three patients from Kerala who were discharged last month.
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