A 32-year-old Civil Police Officer at Kalamassery police station in Ernakulam district, who had been on duty at a COVID-19 care centre, tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday. Following this, all police officers who worked in the station have been sent into quarantine. A total of 59 police personnel have been quarantined now.
The police station was sanitised and a group of police personnel from other stations were deployed to continue the works at the station.
“Contact tracing is continuing to find other people who have come into contact with the police officer. Samples have been collected from everyone in the present contact list,” Ernakulam district administration stated in an official release.
Following the incident, minister VS Sunil Kumar who has the charge of Ernakulam district, in a press meet on Thursday said that all police personnel on duty at COVID-19 care centres will be given face shields as protective gear.
Meanwhile, Ernakulam district administration has also planned to convert CIAL (Cochin International Airport Limited) Convention Centre, into a first line treatment centre as COVID-19 cases are increasing. Already Adlux International Convention Centre in Angamaly in the district, has been converted into one.
First line treatment centres are facilities where asymptomatic COVID-19 patients will be treated. Kerala Chief Minister has asked every district to open two such centres.
Minister Sunil Kumar also said that PVS Hospital in Kochi, which has been shut down, will start to admit COVID-19 patients. The hospital was taken over by district administration in the wake of the pandemic.
In Ernakulam district, 104 persons are presently under treatment for COVID-19. Meanwhile, in the state a total of 1,343 people are under treatment at present; 1,503 people have so far recovered and the state has witnessed 22 deaths.
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