KOCHI: Tasked to enforce the 21-day lockdown and prevent the community spread of Covid-19, police officers in state have been on their feet guarding the streets and deterring people from venturing out unnecessarily. However, they are unable to ensure their own safety as they are forced to work without proper protective gear. Sources said that 90 police personnel have been quarantined in the past couple of weeks after they came in contact with people who were tested positive for Covid-19 or were suspected disease carriers.
“I have been in home quarantine for more than a week now. I was posted at the airport along with a team of officers when many Covid-19-infected patients landed in the state. We had checked their passports and interacted with those who arrived from West Asia. The chances of us contracting the disease is high as we didn’t have any protective gear other than the face mask. Our seniors asked us to go on home quarantine. I am healthy and do not have any symptoms. I will be able to return to duty after five days,” said a police officer, who chose not to reveal his identity.
According to department sources, a batch of more than 40 police officers have been quarantined in Thiruvananthapuram, while 15 each have been sent on leave in Kannur and Kozhikode. Most of them were on airport duty. “The risk of police personnel contracting the disease is high considering the responsibility they have shouldered. They have riot shields, but they need ‘Covid shields’ too,” said former state police chief Jacob Punnoose.
In order to protect officers on duty to control crowd, district police chiefs had asked for long gloves. But cops on the street still control the crowd without any protective gears. “We have taken several measures to ensure the safety of our officers. The state police chief has issued directions that as far as possible, instances where physical dealings with the crowd are required should be avoided. Direction has been given to avoid physical arrests and detention as much as possible,” said Additional DGP Manoj Abraham. Punnoose said protecting the protectors is important in surviving these horrid times. Doctors, nurses and medical support staff are exposed to the disease every time they go near a patient. “Such a risk is faced by police too when they enforce the lockdown.
They come into contact with thousands of people every day as they stand on the road and check, or are called upon to handle groups that break the lockdown or rush to homes to give emergency help or to move patients to hospitals or handle crime or suicide cases,” he said. “We need both medicos and police to stay healthy, active and vigilant now. We cannot afford to have any them fall victim to Covid-19,” he added.