SHILLONG: As several Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in the neighbouring Tripura district have tested positive for COVID-19, the Meghalaya Government has asserted that the State Government, BSF and the Ministry of Home Affairs would work together to ensure that everybody is safe in the state including BSF men posted in the state.
It may be mentioned that thirteen more Border Security Force (BSF) troopers including their two children on Monday tested positive for COVID-19 in Tripura taking the total active cases among the paramilitary personnel and their family in that state to 27.
Speaking on the matter, Home Minister, Lahkmen Rymbui said that the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued protocols on dos and don’ts even BSF have a full team of health personnel and doctors for each and every platoon.
He also urged the BSF and other armed forced authorities in the state to report to the State Government if they came across any suspected case of COVID-19 among their personnel.
According to Home Minister, there is no such report of anybody in the armed forces being reported for COVID-19 in Meghalaya as of now. He added that BSF was a frontline warrior of the country who are protecting the country from external aggression and Government would ensure that everybody worked together for the betterment of the state and the country.
Around 331 people comprising 90 doctors and health workers and 241 BSF jawans were identified for directly or indirectly coming in close contacts with these 12 infected BSF troopers. Of the 331 identified people, swab samples of 179 people are being tested,”
According to experts, the COVID-19 infection probably entered Tripura through the porous international border.