DEHRADUN: 57 Indian Administrative Services trainee officers at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. The academy was sealed for two days starting on Saturday after the trainee officers tested positive.
"A total 57 OTs (Officer Trainees) tested COVID-19 positive on Friday. All of them were shifted to the COVID-19 care centre within the academy campus. Testing of the remaining OTs is being conducted," Sanjeev Chopra, director of LBSNAA, said.
There are a total of 428 officers training under the 95th foundation course on the campus that started on October 13. The trainees include those who have joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFS), among other central services to take 15-week foundation course before joining their respective departments across the country.
Trainees found infected have been quarantined and 150 people have been examined while the remaining staff is also being investigated. "...with guidelines of Government. Food and other necessities are being delivered to the Officer Trainees in their hostels by staff who have been equipped adequately in protective gear," Tweeted LBSNAA from its official Twitter account.
Officials of the academy added that from now on, the classes in the institution will be conducted in online mode at the institution till November 30 at least. The academy, since October 13 had announced special measures to deal with COVID-19 including keeping medical kits, masks and sanitisers in each room, allocation of time slots and venues for dining, separate time slot allotment for use of the library among many other measures to tackle COVID 19 spread.