11 IFS Officers Test COVID-Positive in Dehradun; 1 Senior Officer Absconding

11 officers of the Indian Forest Service have tested positive for COVID at the Forest Research Institute of India.

The delta plus variant of coronavirus. Representative photo.

(Photo: iStock)

Eleven officers of the Indian Forest Service (IFS) have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Old Hostel of Forest Research Institute of India in Uttarakhand, news agency ANI reported on Thursday, 25 November, citing Dehradun District Magistrate R Rajesh Kumar.

In order to prevent further spread of the viral infection, the eleven officers have been isolated at the Old Hostel, and the area has been declared as a containment zone.

"After 11 IFS officers at FRI Old Hostel and 6 people in Tibetans Colony, located on Sahastradhara Road, turned COVID-19 Positive in Dehradun, both the areas have been declared as Containment Zone," Kumar was quoted as saying.

A senior officer of Himachal Pradesh, who had visited the forest research institute had also tested positive for COVID-19, and has been absconding ever since, the Dehradun district magistrate told ANI.

The police is on a lookout for the missing officer.

Uttarakhand reported 25 fresh COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the tally of active cases in the state to 180.

Meanwhile, 11 fully vaccinated army officers, who were taking a course at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Madhya Pradesh, tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Thursday.

(With inputs from ANI.)