5 ITBP personnel test positive for COVID-19; at least 90 quarantined

Five personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and at least 90 have been quarantined over the last few days, officials said on Friday.

These are the first cases of the viral infection in the border-guarding force, which is trained in mountain warfare.

Three personnel, involved in essential services at a base of the paramilitary force in the Tigri area of the national capital, have tested positive for coronavirus and have been isolated at a facility in Delhi, the officials said.

In another case, an infected sub-inspector and a head constable-rank official of the 50th battalion of the force were sent to the AIIMS in Jhajjar (Haryana) for isolation two days ago.

The 50th battalion was deployed in Delhi for rendering law-and-order duties alongside the Delhi Police, the officials said.

The entire company of at least 90 personnel has been quarantined, they added.

The ITBP is a 90,000-personnel-strong force that is primarily tasked with guarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, apart from rendering other internal security duties in the country.