21 Navy personnel test positive for coronavirus

Not more than 21 personnel of the Indian Navy at “INS Angre”, a shore establishment at Mumbai city in the southwestern state of Maharashtra, India have tested positive for coronavirus, (COVID-19).

This was confirmed to Xinhua by a senior India Navy official in New Delhi on Saturday.

“INS Angre” operates as a base depot for ships and units in Mumbai.

The IN official said; “A total of 21 serving personnel have been tested positive for COVID-19 within naval premises at Mumbai.

“This number includes 20 sailors of INS Angre, a shore establishment at Mumbai.”

A statement issued by the IN said most of the personnel were “asymptomatic” and had been traced to a single sailor, who had tested positive on April 7.

“They all reside in the same accommodation block at INS Angre.

“All primary contacts were tested for COVID-19.

“Entire living block was immediately put under quarantine – containment zone and INS Angre too is under lockdown. All actions as per established COVID-19 protocol are being taken,’’ said the IN statement, made available to Xinhua.

It further stated that “there are no cases of infection onboard ships and submarines.

“Indian Navy continues to actively support the national effort in the fight against COVID-19’’.

According to recent numbers issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday, the death toll due to COVID-19 in India increased to 480 and the total number of confirmed cases in the country jumped to 14,378.

The total number of deaths cases which are 480 and positive cases of the pandemic which is 3,323, have been reported from the state of Maharashtra.