Coronavirus Delhi: Around 70 Delhi cops have been infected by the COVID-19 virus
Delhi Police has reported its first coronavirus-linked death - a 31-year-old constable who died at the city's Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital on Tuesday evening.
The constable, identified as Amit Rana, showed no COVID-19 symptoms till Monday evening. A few hours later, however, he had spiked a fever and developed breathing problems, prompting his family to rush him to hospital; he was first taken to the Deep Chand Bandhi Hospital and then to RML, where he was declared brought dead, according to news agency PTI.
Mr Rana's samples, taken before his death, returned positive today, confirming he had been infected with the COVID-19 virus. His colleagues have been asked to self-isolate.
Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava has expressed his sorrow at the police constable's death and offered support and assistance to his family.
Taking to Twitter, the top cop said: "The sudden demise of late Constable Amit Kumar from PS Bharat Nagar has saddened the police fraternity. We stand by his family in this hour of grief and pray to the Almighty to provide strength to bear this loss. All assistance to his family will be provided," he tweeted.
Amit Rana was a resident of Haryana's Sonipat and had been posted to the Bharat Nagar Police Station in northwest Delhi. He is survived by his wife and three-year-old son, according to PTI.
Over 70 policemen in Delhi have tested positive for the infectious virus so far, with nine having been discharged after receiving treatment.
Across India nearly 50,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported, with 1,694 deaths linked to the virus. Delhi, one of the worst-hit states, has over 5,000 cases with 64 deaths reported.
The country is in the middle of an extended lockdown, first ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March, to break the coronavirus chain of transmission.
The first phase of the lockdown was from March 25 to April 14. The second phase started on April 15 and finished on May 3. The third phase started on May 4 and will run to May 17.
In this phase the government has begun re-opening shops, commercial establishments and industries that have been shut for over a month, in an effort to boost the stuttering national economy.
On Sunday Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejrwal said the national capital was "ready to lift the lockdown", while announcing a list of services and industries that have been given restricted relief during the third phase of the nationwide lockdown.
However, Mr Kejriwal also warned people to follow social distancing norms, saying the government would have no hesitation in sealing shops where customers failed to maintain the mandatory six-foot distance from each other.
"We have to defeat coronavirus. I appeal to people to wear masks, maintain social-distancing and sanitise their hands," Mr Kejriwal said.