COVID-19: 25 fresh cases in CAPFs; 17 recoveries

Coronavirus cases in the central paramilitary forces continued to grow, with 25 more personnel reported infected on Thursday, taking their number in these combat organisations to over 820, officials said.

However, as many as 17 troops of these forces have been discharged since Wednesday after their coronavirus test results came negative.

As per data compiled by PTI, the latest total active COVID-19 cases in these five forces -- CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP and SSB -- stand at 824.

Six personnel of these organisations, called the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) or paramilitary forces, have succumbed to the pandemic.

Three men from the CISF, two in the BSF and one from the CRPF have died due to the COVID-19 disease.

The maximum of 12 fresh cases were reported in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force that also had an equal number of recoveries since Wednesday.

The number of active cases in the nearly 90,000-strong force is 158.

The Border Security Force, which has a strength of around 2.5 lakh personnel, saw 10 fresh COVID-19 cases and 21 recoveries.

The number of active cases in the force that guards the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh is 292 now, the highest among the CAPFs.

The country's largest paramilitary, the Central Reserve Police Force, with 3.25 lakh personnel, had three fresh infections in its units based in Delhi. The number of active cases in the force now is 248.

Two other forces, the Central Industrial Security Force and the Sashastra Seema Bal, reported no fresh case of the viral disease.

The number of active cases are 106 and 20 in the CISF and the SSB respectively.

These forces under the command of the Union home ministry have a combined strength of around 10 lakh personnel and are deployed for a variety of duties in the internal security domain and border guarding.