Twenty personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) who returned from Bihar election duty a week ago, have tested Covid-19 positive in Rudrapur area of US Nagar of the state. They have been admitted to a Covid Care Hospital in Rudrapur, officials said .
“A company of our battalion was sent to Bihar for election duty in October. When the personnel returned from duty, their samples were collected and sent for Covid-19 testing. Twenty police personnel out of 100 have tested Covid-19 positive. They have been admitted in a Covid Care Centre in Rudrapur,” Dadan Pal, commandant 31st battalion of PAC in Rudrapur, said.
Five companies of PAC and Indian reserve battalion (IRB) were sent for assembly election duty to Bihar. A company of the 31st battalion PAC returned to Rudrapur after election duty. Its personnel were medically examined in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and samples were collected on November 11.
“All personnel were quarantined in barracks after their samples were collected by health officials. As so far 20 security personnel have tested positive, contact tracing has begun and samples of the families of those who tested positive, are being collected for testing as a precautionary measure and to avoid the spread of the infection further,” Pal said.
Rudrapur is the base of the PAC 31st and 46th battalions for years. Both battalions have good records in curbing terrorism in erstwhile UP, in maintaining law and order in the state and other states, and extending their services in disaster management, said an official.
