15 CRPF personnel based in Delhi test coronavirus positive

Fifteen Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel posted in a Delhi-based battalion have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Sunday.

The troops belong to CRPF's 31st battalion in which nine men had tested positive on Thursday, a senior official said.

With the fresh cases, the number of infected personnel in this unit stands at 24.

The patients have been isolated and admitted to a hospital in Mandawali area here, the official said.

Samples of about a dozen more personnel of the unit have been sent for testing and their reports are awaited, he said.

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The personnel of this unit underwent tests after a head constable who visited the battalion last week tested positive for the virus, the official said.

The head constable, who was working as a nursing assistant, is part of the 162nd battalion deployed in Kupwara of Jammu and Kashmir and was in Noida on leave.

The jawan was asked to report to the 31st battalion for testing and he tested COVID-19 positive on April 21.

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Earlier this month, a doctor of the paramilitary contracted the infection, while a head constable of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) tested positive in Ahmedabad.

With about 3.25 lakh personnel, the CRPF is country's largest paramilitary or Central Armed Police Force and is designated as the lead internal security force of the country for conduct of anti-Naxal and counter-terrorist operations apart from rendering regular law and order duties.