A day after the Indian Army reported its first case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the world's third-largest army is on a war footing to contain the pandemic.
Instructions have been issued from the Army headquarters that all training courses, starting from next Monday, have been postponed. And all non-essential training, conferences and movement have been cancelled by the Army. Ongoing courses will continue with all precautions. All joint training exercises with foreign military forces have also been deferred.
A 34-year-old Army man from the Ladakh Scouts was detected to be COVID-19 positive after he came in touch with his father, who had returned from Iran from a pilgrimage recently. Army sources said the jawan, who is a native of Chuchot village of Leh, was on casual leave from February 25 to March 1. He rejoined his unit on March 2 in Leh.
Now, all jawans and Army personnel attached to the Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre in Leh have been quarantined. It is to be noted that the military follows the practice of community living as personnel eat, sleep, exercise and work together. "It is not possible to give out numbers of quarantined Army personnel, but all his colleagues of the unit have been isolated and under constant observation," a source said.
“His father returned from Iran after pilgrimage by Air India flight on February 27 and was quarantined from February 29 at Ladakh Heart Foundation,” an Army source said, adding that even though the jawan had rejoined from leave, he was helping his family during quarantine period and was staying at Chuchot village for some time.
The jawan's father tested positive for coronavirus on March 6 and was immediately admitted and isolated at the SNM Hospital. Officials of Ladakh Scouts Regimental Centre immediately quarantined the jawan, and a week later, on Monday late night (March 16), Army doctors confirmed him to be COVID-19 infected.
"After the jawan was tested positive, he was isolated at hospital. His wife and two children and a sister have also been quarantined at the SNM Heart Foundation," an Army source confirmed.
In a bid to prevent the spread of the virus, the Army has advised its service personnel to utilise shopping complex facilities within the cantonment or military stations and avoid visits to crowded areas like movie halls and shopping malls. Detailed instructions were issued from Army headquarters to various military stations, Army formations and service hospitals.
Foreign travel by Indian Army officers and men going on duty or leave, especially to coronavirus-affected nations is restricted by the ministry of defence and those who return from foreign visits will have to go through 14 days of quarantine.
"Local military authorities will exercise suitable control to avoid/postpone all non-essential mass gathering like festivals, welfare activities and public gatherings till situation improves," an Army advisory stated. It also stated that regular health information education and counselling activities are to be carried out at all military stations. And military hospitals are to establish isolation wards and have separate OPDs for screening of symptomatic cases to prevent avoidable transmission.
"Service hospitals will work in synergy with local civil medical authorities and designated ICMR labs," the advisory said, adding that "all non-essential foreign travel has to be avoided.”
