NEW DELHI: Twenty-four people admitted at the Army’s Research and Referral hospital in New Delhi have been infected with the coronavirus.
All the patients, who included serving and retired military personnel and their dependents, were admitted in the oncology ward of the hospital. Following their Covid-19 test reports coming positive, the patients were shifted to the Base Hospital in Delhi Cantonment, which is the designated hospital for coronavirus treatment, the Army said.
The Army said after a patient is tested positive, quarantine protocol is followed. “A detailed contact tracing is carried out, including the family members who are categorised in the high-risk group,” said a source. Vacation of the ward and a part of the building was undertaken immediately to start sanitization, as per the protocol. Investigation into the source of the contagion takes up to 48 hours and is under process, sources said.
This is the second biggest virus outbreak in the armed forces. Last month, 26 navy personnel had tested positive at a naval base in Mumbai. The navy has quarantined 150 officers and sailors at INS Netaji Subhash base in Kolkata as a precautionary step after two sailors reported symptoms.