Coronavirus spirals in central paramilitary forces with over 114 fresh cases; tally over 650

At least 116 fresh coronavirus infections were reported in central paramilitary forces on Saturday, taking the total number of positive personnel in these uniformed organisations to over 650, officials said.

The five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) issued directions for strict physical or social distancing measures, sanitisation and quarantine in their camps and offices after a concerned Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed these rising cases on Friday with the force chiefs.

The paramilitary forces or the CAPFs have over 650 COVID-19 troops now after 114 fresh cases were reported, a senior paramilitary officer said.

Five personnel of these forces have succumbed to the disease, a senior paramilitary officer said.

These forces, under the command of the Union home ministry, include the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and SSB.

The maximum cases of the disease over the last 24 hours were reported from the country's largest paramilitary force Central Reserve Police Force, at 62. These troopers belong to the 194th Rapid Action Force (RAF) based in Delhi. All the infected personnel have been put in quarantine at a school in Bawana area, officials said.

The total active cases in the 3.25-lakh-personnel lead internal security force stand at 231 now. Two personnel have recovered while a 55-year-old Sub-Inspector has succumbed to the disease.

The 31st battalion of the CRPF in Delhi has about 137 positive cases and the troops are being treated at a Delhi government facility in Mandoli.

The Border Security Force, the second-largest CAPF with about 2.5 lakh personnel, reported 35 cases over the past 24 hours, pushing the total active cases in the force to 256; the maximum being from a unit that was deployed in Delhi and from the border state of Tripura.

The BSF guards Indian borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Central Industrial Security Force, the national civil aviation protection force, saw 13 fresh cases during the same period, taking its total active cases to 48.

The maximum 31 cases in the 1.62-lakh-personnel CISF are from the unit that guards the Delhi Metro followed by 13 in the Mumbai international airport guarding unit.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police, that guards the 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control with China, saw 6 fresh cases. It has 100 active COVID-19 positive troops now, the maximum being from its camp in south Delhi's Tigri area and a company that was deployed for law and order duties in the national capital.

The Nepal and Bhutan-guarding force, the Sashastra Seema Bal, has at least 18 active cases as of now.

After home minister Shah's review, the AIIMS in Jhajjar has been designated as a special coronavirus facility for the CAPF personnel apart from their 200-bedded referral hospital in Greater Noida.

"A total of 126 troops from various CAPFs and their family members are admitted at the referral hospital at present. They are stable," ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said.