Army steps up precautionary measures to ensure COVID-19 does not spread among soldiers

After a 34-year-old soldier was tested positive for Coronavirus, the Army has taken various measures to ensure that the COVID-19 outbreak does not affect the soldiers who are deployed to safeguard the frontiers of the country. The Army on Wednesday said that a 34-year-old soldier deployed in Leh who has been tested positive with the Coronavirus has been placed in quarantine at a government hospital in Ladakh.

The soldier was placed under quarantine on March 7

The Army said that the solider whose identity has not been revealed said that he was on casual leave from February 25 to March 1 and his father who had gone on a pilgrimage to Iran had returned on an Air India flight on February 27. His father on his return to Ladakh was placed under quarantine at Ladakh heart foundation. However, the soldier who had re-joined his duties post his leaver was helping his family and was also staying at his village Chuchot for some time.

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The Army said that the father of the soldier was later tested positive with COVID-19 and was placed in isolation at the SNM hospital in Leh. The Army said that the soldier's report was also placed under quarantine on March 7 and on March 16 came as positive and then was placed in an isolation ward in the SNM hospital in Leh.

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“His wife, along with two children and his sister have also been quarantined at the SNM Heart Foundation in Leh,” the Army said.
The Army also said that the soldiers and the colleagues of the soldier who has been tested positive have also been tested for the COVID-19 in Ladakh and they have also been placed under quarantine, their test reports are yet to come. Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry in its morning bulletin on the situation across the country arising due to the Coronavirus has said that the number of positive cases in the Union territory of Ladakh has risen to eight.

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(Image credits: PTI)