No fewer than 21 Indian Navy (IN) personnel at “INS Angre”, a shore establishment at Mumbai city in the southwestern state of Maharashtra, have tested positive for novel coronavirus, a senior IN official in New Delhi confirmed to Xinhua on Saturday.
“INS Angre” works as a base depot for ships and units based in Mumbai.
“A total of 21 serving personnel have been tested positive for COVID-19 within naval premises at Mumbai.
“This number includes 20 sailors of INS Angre, a shore establishment at Mumbai,’’ said the IN official.
A statement issued by the IN said most of the personnel were “asymptomatic” and had been traced to a single sailor, who had tested positive on April 7.
“They all reside in the same accommodation block at INS Angre.
“All primary contacts were tested for COVID-19.
“Entire living block was immediately put under quarantine – containment zone and INS Angre too is under lockdown.
“All actions as per established COVID-19 protocol are being taken,’’ said the IN statement, available with Xinhua.
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It further stated that “there are no cases of infection onboard ships and submarines.
“Indian Navy continues to actively support the national effort in the fight against COVID-19’’.
According to latest figures issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday, the death toll due to COVID-19 in India rose to 480 and the total number of confirmed cases in the country reached 14,378.
The maximum number of deaths and positive COVID-19 cases, 480 and 3,323 respectively, have been reported from the state of Maharashtra.
(NAN)
