New Delhi: At least 20 serving jawans are among the 24 people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus at the Army’s premier Research and Referral Hospital in the national capital.
In a statement, an Army spokesperson said among the 24 persons admitted in RR Hospital were in-patients, including serving and retired military personnel and their dependents. The spokesperson added that all the positive cases are from the oncology department of the hospital, and that none of them are staff members.
Apart from the 20 serving jawans, sources said, a veteran and three dependents have tested positive.
The Army has shifted all of them to the Base Hospital at Delhi Cantonment.
Army sources said the tests were conducted after a patient tested positive for Covid-19 on 3 May.
“Covid positive protocols were immediately put in place and more were tested. Of all those tested, reports that came on Monday evening confirmed 23 more positive cases,” said a source in the know.
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Covid-19 in the Army
Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane had last week said there were 14 cases of Covid-19 in the ranks and five of them had recovered.
In April, an Army doctor engaged with the force’s operation against the Covid-19 pandemic, had tested positive.
At least two other Army doctors had also tested positive.
The military had Sunday taken a number of steps to salute the corona warriors across the country, which also included Indian Air Force showering flower petals on the National Police Memorial here and hospitals treating Covid-19 patients.
The list of hospitals feted in the national capital included AllMS, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, GTB Hospital, Loknayak Hospital, RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, Ganga Ram Hospital, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Max Saket, Rohini Hospital, Apollo Indraprastha Hospital, and Army Hospital R&R, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defence.
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