Following an IFP editorial entitled Policing in COVID-19 times published on August 4, newly appointed Manipur chief secretary Rajesh Kumar IAS swung into action on Tuesday and held a meeting with top officials of the state police, army and paramilitary forces to review the management of transmission of COVID 19 infection among police and security force personnel in Imphal.
The meeting, which was held at the Old Secretariat Conference Hall, Imphal decided that all security formations should appoint a state-level nodal officer and coordinate with departments of Home, Health and state Police Headquarters and establish quarantine facilities with sizeable capacity in centralised locations by all formations, official sources said.
The chief secretary instructed all formations to establish a unit in police and all security establishments for sample collection, record keeping, sending of samples for testing and collection of test results.
Further, it was decided that all security organisations like Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF and BSF who have a sizeable presence in the state should take up necessary steps to establish and operate COVID Care Centres to treat asymptomatic or mild symptomatic personnel.
The meeting held at 11 am on Tuesday was attended by principal secretary (Health) Vulmang, special secretary (Home) H Gyanprakash, ADGP Kailun, top officials of the Health department besides local commanders of Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF and CISF.
On Tuesday, 34 more personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAFP) tested positive for COVID-19 of the total 64 cases. With it, the cumulative number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state has crossed 3,000 mark. The total positive case now stands at 3018 out of which 1197 are active cases and 1814 have recovered. The recovery rate stands at 60.10 per cent, the death toll of COVID-19 is seven.
It is pertinent to note that the state recorded the highest single-day spike of COVID-19 positive cases among the security personnel last Saturday and Sunday. As many as 80 security personnel tested positive on both days.
