21 Indian Navy men test coronavirus positive: Defence Ministry

A total of 21 serving personnel of Indian Navy have been tested positive for Coronavirus within naval premises at Mumbai, sources in Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

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"This number includes 20 sailors of Indian Naval Ship Angre, a shore establishment at Mumbai," a Defence Ministry source said.

It was found that most of these cases were 'asymptomatic' and have been traced to a single sailor who was tested positive on April 7.

They all reside in the same accommodation block at INS Angre.

People queue outside a supermarket as a preventive measure against coronavirus in Bangalore, India. File/AFP

The navy men have been admitted in naval hospital INHS Asvini in Mumbaia's Colaba after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.

All primary contacts, though asymptomatic, were tested for Covid-19.

"Entire living block was immediately put under quarantine. It has been made containment zone and Indian Naval Ship Angre too is under lockdown," said ministry source adding that all actions as per established COVID protocol are being taken.

The officials in the ministry also highlighted that there are no cases of infection onboard ships and submarines.

On April 10, Indian Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh had said that the force has to redouble the efforts in fight against Coronavirus as it the last bastion in the national effort against the pandemic.

"We are really the last bastion in the national effort against the pandemic," Admiral Singh had said in his address to his men.

A security official checks the temperature of a visitor as a precaution against coronavirus in New Delhi. File/AP

He had also pointed that Coronavirus has had an unprecedented and extraordinary impact across the globe, as also for India. "We all have soon come around to realising that the danger is real, imminent and unprecedented," he said.

For the Navy, Admiral Singh said that they have taken certain measures in consonance with the government, including stoppage of recruitment and training; freeze on movements and transfers; stoppage of work, except those related to national security, health and essential services.

While this is the first reported case of Covid in the Indian Navy, the Indian Army has so far reported eight positive virus cases.

"We have only eight positive cases in the entire Indian Army. Of the eight, two are doctors and one nursing assistant. Four are responding well to the treatment," Army Chief General M.M. Naravane had said on Friday.

Indo-Asian News Service