Army, paramilitary staff to be quarantined on return to Chhattisgarh

The Chhattisgarh health department has asked personnel of the paramilitary forces and Army to remain quarantined for 14 days after their return to the state on completion of trainingor duties in other parts of the country. State health secretary Niharika Barik Singh wrote letters on Sunday to senior officials of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Indian Army and Service Selection Board (SSB), to ensure compliance of the quarantine protocols.

In the letter, Singh said it has come to the notice of the health department that security personnel of the units concerned are out of the state for various reasons like training, leave, duty, and others. It has been directed that whenever the personnel return to the state, the departments concerned must ensure they compulsorily follow 14-day quarantine, the official said.

On their arrival from other states, information should be given to collectors and chief medical and health officers of the respective districts and their health test must be conducted. The armed units and paramilitary forces should make arrangements of separate rooms with attached toilet facilities for the stay of the personnel during the 14-day quarantine and their health check-up should be done daily, the letter said.

In case of detection of any symptoms related to COVID-19, it should be brought to the notice of the health department immediately, Singh said in the letter. In case of non-availability of their respective unit doctors, they can take services of the state health department staff for daily screening, the official added. A large number of paramilitary forces are deployed in Chhattisgarh, particularly in Bastar region, for carrying out anti-Naxal operations. The headquarters of the Armys Chhattisgarh and Odisha Sub Area (COSA) is located in Raipur.