Coronavirus in Mumbai: Mira Road cops beat COVID-19, welcomed with flowers and applause

Amid the growing numbers of Covid-19 cases in the force, the Thane (rural) police heaved a sigh of relief after three cops attached to the Mira Road police station who had tested positive for the infection last week, fully recovered and returned home on Wednesday.

Always at the risk of getting infected, the police personnel include an assistant sub-inspector and two constables who alike their colleagues had been constantly working to ensure physical distancing and maintain the daily law and order to prevent the spread of the deadly pandemic in the twin-city.

After testing negative and getting discharged from the hospital, the cops received an emotionally overwhelming welcome from their colleagues led by Senior Police Inspector Sandip Kadam. The cops clapped, cheered and showered flowers on them as they walked back home.

"Despite the looming threat, of getting sick themselves, our entire force has been relentlessly working on the frontline to contain the virus spread and all this without a frown. The least we expect from people is that they stay back home, obey all guidelines and co-operate with the administration." said SP. Dr. Shivaji Rathod.

Around 40 police personnel from the Mira Road police station were subjected to swab tests, three of which were confirmed positive. As precautionary measure other policemen who had come in contact had to be quarantined.

From contact tracing of Covid-19 positive persons and monitoring of home or institutional quarantines to ensuring implementation of the lockdown, closure of containment zones and issuing travel permits, the police has been doing all the chores, since the beginning of the outbreak and subsequent announcements of lockdown. Notably, the number of corona positive cops in the state police force has already crossed the 2,000 mark.