As many as 21 Indian Navy (IN) personnel at “INS Angre”, a shore establishment at Mumbai city in the southwestern state of Maharashtra, have tested positive for novel coronavirus, a senior IN official in New Delhi confirmed to Xinhua on Saturday.
“INS Angre” works as a base depot for ships and units based in Mumbai.
“A total of 21 serving personnel have been tested positive for COVID-19 within naval premises at Mumbai.
“This number includes 20 sailors of INS Angre, a shore establishment at Mumbai,’’ said the IN official.
A statement issued by the IN said most of the personnel were “asymptomatic” and had been traced to a single sailor, who had tested positive on April 7.
“They all reside in the same accommodation block at INS Angre.
“All primary contacts were tested for COVID-19.
“Entire living block was immediately put under quarantine – containment zone and INS Angre too is under lockdown.
“All actions as per established COVID-19 protocol are being taken,’’ said the IN statement, available with Xinhua.
It further stated that “there are no cases of infection onboard ships and submarines.
“Indian Navy continues to actively support the national effort in the fight against COVID-19’’.
According to latest figures issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday, the death toll due to COVID-19 in India rose to 480 and the total number of confirmed cases in the country reached 14,378.
The maximum number of deaths and positive COVID-19 cases, 480 and 3,323 respectively, have been reported from the state of Maharashtra.