10 CISF officers posted at airport test positive

Ten officers of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), who were posted at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), have tested positive for the Sars-Cov-2 virus, which causes Covid-19. Six tested positive on Friday and four had tested positive on March 29. All 10 are asymptomatic. The total number of CISF personnel who have tested positive is now 11, including one who has since tested negative.

On March 27, a CISF head constable (HC) tested positive for Covid-19 after reporting a mild fever. Following this, 152 personnel were quarantined at a CISF residential camp at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai. MA Ganapathy, special director general, CISF, said , “After the first positive case, we decided to test 11 of his close contacts, four of whom tested positive on March 29. As all lived in the same camp, we decided to test all 152 personnel living in the camp. Six more tested positive on Friday, taking the total to 10. All those who tested positive are asymptomatic.” The camp has since been vacated and sanitised.

Senior CISF officers said one of the Covid-positive personnel has been admitted to Kasturba Gandhi Hospital and the six who tested positive on Friday have been admitted to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital. In his two most recent tests, the HC has tested negative for the virus.

Sources said the CISF officers may have contracted the virus from passengers while discharging duties at the airport.