Coronavirus / Navy quarantines 160 personnel at Kolkata's INS Netaji Subhash base

The Indian Navy quarantined 160 officers and sailors at the INS Netaji Subhash administrative and logistics base at Kolkata after two sailors were suspected of being COVID-19 positive on Tuesday. Earlier, at least 24 cancer patients, including serving and retired armed forces' personnel, had tested positive for coronavirus at the Army's Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital in Delhi.

The Quint : May 06, 2020, 11:48 AM
Kolkata: The Indian Navy quarantined 160 officers and sailors at the INS Netaji Subhash administrative and logistics base at Kolkata, after two sailors were suspected of being COVID-19 positive on Tuesday, 5 May.

Earlier in the day, as many as 24 patients at the Army’s Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital in Delhi Cantonment tested positive for COVID-19. This includes serving and retired service personnel, and their dependents.

Colonel Aman Anand, Army Spokesperson said, “24 patients, including serving and retired military personnel and dependents, admitted in Army Hospital (Research and Referral) – all from Oncology Department – have tested positive for the virus and shifted to Base Hospital in Delhi Cantt.”

In the first cases reported in the Navy, on 18 April, a total of 26 serving personnel of the Indian Navy had tested positive for COVID-19 within naval premises at Mumbai. Among these are 20 sailors of INS Angre, a shore establishment at Mumbai.

The first sailor who tested positive was residing and working at INS Angre. The rest of the personnel who tested positive had come in close contact with that first sailor. The navy had then said that all missions for coastal and offshore security will continue as before.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus cases in India surged to 46,711 on Tuesday. According to the Health Ministry data, there are now 31,967 active cases across the country, while 1,583 people have died. As many as 13,160 patients have been cured or discharged and one has migrated.