Army starts process to set up quarantine centres in each station for its personnel

The Indian Army has started the process of identifying additional infrastructure for setting up quarantine centres in each station for its personnel to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak, senior officials said on Thursday.

The Army is also preparing a plan to "sidestep" medical personnel from lesser virus-affected areas to those severely affected by the outbreak, the officials noted.

More than 600 persons have detected positive for novel coronavirus and 13 people have died till now in India, according to the Union health ministry.

The Army is also doing additional training of its medical personnel at various hospitals to be better prepared for COVID-19, the officials stated.

The officials also said that the Army is liasioning with the civil administration and has told them that it is prepared to extend its hospitals and laboratory facilities to them to assist at COVID-19 hotspots.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a nationwide 21-day lockdown from March 25 to April 15 to curb the spread of novel coronavirus.