Police stations in Chittoor district are on high alert against COVID-19 after the virus wormed its way into the force, infecting over 12 police personnel in Puttur sub-division.
Apart from the 12 police personnel who tested positive in Puttur sub-division, another 12 policemen from the mandal who were on duty in Srikalahasti also contracted the virus.
The first positive case among the force was reported in Puttur town on April 22 — a policeman who was believed to have been infected while on duty in Srikalahasti. Within the next few weeks, two dozen cases surfaced in Satyavedu, Nagalapauram and Nagari. A few weeks ago, a Circle Inspector of the sub-division and his family contracted the virus, followed by constables and home guards. The spread of the virus among the police force was attributed to the movement of public towards Tamil Nadu from the municipalities of Puttur and Nagari, and vice-versa.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Puttur) D. Murali Dhar said that when the first case of COVID-19 among the police force in the sub-division was reported, adherence to COVID-19 protocols was further intensified. Superintendent of Police S. Senthil Kumar arranged thermal screening equipment at all police stations, apart from stocking up on gloves, masks, face guards and sanitisers, he said.
The Deputy SP said that all police personnel who were over 55 years of age were strictly barred from performing duties at red zones and containment areas. “Police personnel who fall under the high-risk category are made to work in a safe atmosphere inside the police stations. We are deploying only young constables in the red zones,” Mr. Murali Dhar said.
Regarding Madanapalle sub-division, Deputy SP A. Ravi Manohar Achari said that so far no cases have been reported among the police force. He said that police personnel who were deployed on inter-State border with Karnataka followed all COVID-19 protocols to keep the virus at bay.
Chittoor sub-division, with a growing number of cases in the municipal corporation zone, has only seen a few police personnel getting infected. Deputy SP (Special Branch) Sudhakar Reddy said that as per latest reports, 99% of the police personnel and their family members who tested positive for the virus were discharged from hospital.
