Senior Border Security Force (BSF) officials reviewed the safety arrangements at the BSF training centre at Areekkarakkunnu near Nadapuram on Saturday where COVID-19 was confirmed in over 200 jawans in antigen tests on Friday. They also inspected the treatment facilities provided for the quarantined patients.
Though there was a plan to conduct antigen tests for about 500 more persons including jawans and their family members in the camp on Saturday, it was postponed to Sunday. After the Sunday’s test, symptomatic patients will be admitted to the First Line Treatment Centre at Nadapuram.
Health Department sources said COVID-19 was first confirmed in jawans who returned to the camp from other States after their vacation. Considering the critical situation, the Chekkiyad grama panchayat was declared a containment zone. To meet the additional requirements, opening of more FLTCs would be considered in the panchayat, they said.
Rapid Response Teams started their efforts to identify the primary contacts of those who were tested positive at the BSF training camp. Sources said a few jawans had recently gone out for shopping in the village.