Personnel Fail to Report COVID-19 Symptoms, Army Issues Advisory

A volunteer sprays disinfectant on paramilitary personnel as they cordon off an area in Nizamuddin, Delhi. Image used for representation only.

(Photo: PTI)

The Army headquarters on Monday, 30 March sent an advisory to all the Army bases, formations and wings prescribing specific measures to insulate the 1.3 million force from the coronavirus and warning about punitive action if the norms are breached.

The advisory was issued after army personnel concealed symptoms for COVID-19 and failed to disclose contact with infected persons and travel details to areas having cases of the infection. The personnel will face punitive action under the Army Act, 1950.

The advisory said it has been made “obligatory” for all ranks to immediately disclose any symptoms of COVID-19 like cough, throat pain, fever, breathing difficulty to concerned authorities.

All Army personnel will also be required to immediately inform the designated medical teams if they come in contact with any coronavirus infected person while on leave or during travel, officials said.

The advisory also made it mandatory to disclose visit to any area identified by the the government as having coronavirus infection.

It mentioned that any Army personnel flouting the directives will be tried under the Army Act, 1950, on charges of violation of service discipline.

The Army headquarters also issued instructions saying transit facilities comprising provisions for testing of personnel suspected to be suffering from COVID-19 should be identified by command headquarters, officials said.

On Sunday, a doctor and a junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army tested positive for coronavirus. The Colonel-rank doctor is serving at the Command Hospital in Kolkata while the JCO is posted to an Army base in Dehradun.

A few weeks ago, an Army jawan tested positive for COVID-19. The soldier was on leave at his home in Leh.

India has recorded a total of 1,251 positive cases of COVID-19 as of Monday and at least 32 deaths so far. Globally, the virus has infected more than 750,000 people and claimed more than 35,000 lives.