Ranchi district administration has started sanitising police stations after six cops from five police stations here tested positive for Covid-19, officials said on Saturday.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) SK Jha said that police have also started contact tracing of the six cops, who tested positive, in a bid to identify other policemen and civilians who may have come in direct contact with the Covid positive cops.
“We have started contact tracing of our six colleagues who tested positive. Sanitisation works in the police stations have also begun,” said Jha.
Six policemen from Bariatu, Argora, Hindpiri, Chutia and Dhurwa police stations tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. While there were speculations that the aforementioned police stations would be sealed, Jha on Saturday clarified that none of the police stations would be sealed.
There are as many as 45 police stations and outposts in Ranchi. Each of these facilities will be sanitised and cops will be asked to take additional precautionary measures while they are on duty, police sources said.
Ranchi Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Lokesh Mishra said that the administration was also screening residents of localities where the Covid positive cops lived. “All the policemen from the five police stations will be tested,” he said.
As per Government data, at least 227 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Ranchi so far. Ranchi was also the first Covid-19 red zone in Jharkhand. The State’s largest containment zone was also in Ranchi.
Last month, the government had sealed a police station in Hazaribag after a man who was kept in lock-up there tested positive for Covid-19, health officials said.
Notably, police personnel are on the forefront of exposure engaged in regular duty during the lockdown. The State government had also run special community kitchens at all police stations of the State, where migrant workers travelling from far areas and villagers were served meals.