Over 250 Assam Cops Affected By Coronavirus, 80% From Guwahati

At least 256 personnel in Assam police have tested positive for COVID-19 so far and of them, 50 have recovered, Assam Police's ADGP (Law and Order) GP Singh said in a tweet on Monday.

According to Mr Singh, another 932 personnel have been placed under quarantine as of Sunday, comprising 145 from districts and 787 from battalions. 80 percent of those who got either infected or quarantined are from the Guwahati City police, the official added.

"Till 6th July, 256 Assam police personnel have tested Covid positive out of whom 50 have recovered, 932 are under quarantine," Mr Singh tweeted.

The COVID-19 situation has turned grim in Assam with the state reporting its biggest ever single day spike on Saturday. With 1,202 new cases, Assam's COVID-19 tally has crossed 11,000-mark. Guwahati, which is the biggest city in the northeast, has seen close to 3,500 cases in the last 10 days.

While a two-week long total lockdown is underway in Guwahati, police personnel responsible for ensuring lockdown and helping the health department to identify COVID-19 positive people are themselves infected and the number is increasing.

According to the police sources, four of the city's 50 police barracks now lie under containment zones.

Guwahti police force comprising of nearly 5,000 personnel is responsible for maintaining total lockdown which is imposed till July 12 in the city.

"There is no problem in terms of manpower etc, yes since people are quarantined, yes, we are bit strained but our personnel are doing duties day and night," Guwahati's Police Commissioner MP Gupta told NDTV.

Those infected and quarantined includes senior officers as well.

"A few days back I was tested positive and being treated at Guwahati medical college PATCH as front liner all my fellow policemen now need to adhere to the protocols" Additional Deputy Police Commissioner (Admin) Ponjit Dowarah told NDTV over telephone from COVID-19 hospital where he is being treated.

"One wing of the Covid care centre is dedicated exclusively for police personnel. our people had been working with suspects right from sramik trains arrivals to other covid duties so this spike was expected to infect police" Assam's DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta told NDTV.