To safeguard cops, Punjab makes Covid-19 test must for all arrestees

CHANDIGARH: With criminals nabbed by police testing positive for Covid-19, putting police personnel at risk, the Punjab government has decided to test all arrested persons — both symptomatic and asymptomatic — for the virus.
Around 200 police officials had to be put in quarantine, after the accused persons they arrested tested positive. Besides, close to 20 police personnel have also tested positive after coming in contact with infected persons.
The government has revised its earlier guidelines which mandated testing for arrested people having coronavirus symptoms.The decision to revise the guidelines was taken at a meeting of the principal secretary, health with ADGP, prisons.
Putting the arrested persons in the high-risk category, the RT-PCR test for Covid-19 has been made mandatory for all arrestees, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic.
The health department has instructed all the deputy commissioners, senior superintendents of police and civil surgeons to ensure that samples of all arrested individuals are taken at the nearest health facility and sent to government laboratories.
As per the guidelines, till the time result of the test is not known, the custody of the arrested person will be the responsibility of police and such persons will not be admitted to any Covid-19 health facility. If tested positive, the arrested person will be managed as per the laid down protocols. Jails in Barnala and Patti are being used as quarantine centres.
Since the outbreak of virus, there have been instances of arrested accused testing positive for the virus, forcing cops into isolation. On April 10, about 17 police personnel were quarantined after a person arrested for involvement in snatching and vehicle lifting was tested positive. Similarly, on June 4, around 50 police personnel involved in an operation to nab a drug paddler in Barnala district were sent to home quarantine.
As the Punjab Police personnel are actively involved in controlling the coronavirus outbreak in the state, the health department has created a total of 78 exclusive quarantine facilities for them.
The government has also made it mandatory to test all the prisoners for Covid-19 before shifting them from special jails to regular jails. As per the health department instructions, a medical team from the department will visit the jail for collection of samples if the number of samples to be collected is 40 or more. If the number is less than 40, then the inmates will be taken to health centre.