CRPF headquarters closed till Tuesday after staff tests positive for COVID-19
May 03, 2020
New Delhi [India], May 3 : After a staff of the Special Director General (SDG) tested COVID-19 positive, the CRPF DG has ordered the closure of the headquarters till Tuesday morning.
CRPF is already fighting with COVID-19 as one of its battalions has 122 confirmed coronavirus cases.
CRPF has also sent its 40 staff including an SDG rank officer, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), who were working from the CRPF headquarters in Delhi for home quarantine.
"As one corona positive case has been detected in the Directorate, the entire building of the Directorate General will be subjected to disinfection by the Government notified agency, keeping in view with protocols and directions of MoHFW. Accordingly, the Directorate General, CRPF office will remain closed till Tuesday morning, i.e., 05th morning May 2020," said the CRPF in its order.
"Hence, all officers and men working in the Directorate General, CRPF, are requested not to come to the office and work from home till then. They should remain available to their seniors on phone to respond to necessary emergencies. Those responsible for the collection, collation and dissemination of urgent communication may continue to do so by safe and secure means. All other activities including meetings scheduled for Monday stand postponed," says CRPF order, which has been released after DG AP Maheshwari's approval.
The force officials have also started contact tracing of the staff who tested positive. According to sources, he was regularly coming to the office and met multiple people. His family has also been sent for quarantine and arrangements for their tests have been made.
The CRPF has asked its staff to work to activate higher frequency networks for communication as a backup. CRPF headquarters has the office of DG and other top officers along with a central control room, which gives 24/7 updates regarding all operations and other developments.
This is not the first case in the CRPF. Apart from the 122 cases in one of its battalions, its Chief Medical Officer had also tested positive for the infection but then recovered from it.
