'COVID-19 cases have no impact on our operational capabilities': Deputy Chief of Navy  

Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral MS Pawar on Saturday said that Coronavirus cases have no impact on operational capabilities of the Navy as country's warships, submarines and aircraft continue to be deployed in operations. His remarks came in the backdrop of 26 Navy personnel testing positive for COVID-19 at the strategically-located Western Naval Command in Mumbai.

'We are also ready to help our neighbours'

"These cases have no impact on our operational capabilities as our warships, submarines and aircraft continue to be deployed in operations. We are also ready to help our neighbours, in case, they require any help. There is not a single case of COVID-19 on our warships," said Deputy Chief of Naval Staff MS Pawar.

After testing positive for COVID-19, 26 sailors have been placed in isolation. "Detection of these COVID-19 cases is the result of meticulous contact tracing and aggressive screening carried out by Western Naval Command after a sailor tested positive on April 7. These sailors continue to remain asymptomatic and are being monitored at INHS Asvini," Indian Navy said in a press release.

'The Coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented'

The Navy said that containment zones and buffer areas have been designated and frequent disinfection continues to be carried out to contain the spread by breaking the chain of transmission.

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Last week, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, in a video message, told his personnel that vital operational assets such as ships and submarines must remain free from the virus. "The Coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented and it has never been seen before. Its impact has been extraordinary across the globe, including India," he said. The danger posed by this disease is real, imminent and unprecedented, he noted.

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With 957 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours and 36 deaths, India's total count of Coronavirus cases has surged to 14,792, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday. The total cases are inclusive of 2,014 cured and discharged patients, one migrated and 488 deaths. At present, there are 12,289 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

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(With agency inputs)