The CISF, central paramilitary force in charge of airport security, has sent two of its staffers in isolation after they came in contact with Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor who recently tested positive for COVID-19. Kanika, who returned from the UK, triggered a massive coronavirus scare among parliamentarians and others who came in contact with her in three parties after she arrived in India. The two CISF personnel were deployed at Mumbai and Lucknow airports.
Sources told THE WEEK that the CISF lady staffer who frisked Kanika at the airport and the CISF personnel who checked her documents have been quarantined for 14 days. The CISF authorities are taking all precautionary measures for their personnel deployed for airport security and it was felt that their health could have been compromised if the actor was carrying the infection.
Sources said that the central paramilitary force has been at the forefront of managing high risk passengers transiting through airports and coming in contact with foreigners. Any negligence from the travellers and non-adherence to norms put the central paramilitary force personnel at risk. Utmost precautions have been taken for the force personnel who are being tested for the coronavirus by the government.
The CISF personnel frisk and interact with thousands of passengers everyday.
Nearly 30,000 CISF personnel have been deployed at airports in the last few weeks giving them exposure to travellers from all parts of the world but none have tested positive till now. So far, despite the heavy exposure to infected travellers transiting through Indian airports, no COVID-19 case has been reportede in the central paramilitary force .
Around 30 of these CISF staffers have also undergone testing for the virus.
Sources said Kanika did not show signs of illness or fever when she landed from UK as she did not have temperature. When she landed at Lucknow airport, her temperature was not checked since it was a domestic flight.
But thermal imaging and intelligence gathering of passengers seeming unwell had been continuing at the domestic airports. Now with domestic and international flights being cancelled across the country, the airport security personnel are also being sent on leave, barring the CISF staff required for terminal safety and so on.
