Virus catches city police off guard in Lahore

Thirty-six personnel, including two DIGs, test positive for coronavirus

LAHORE:

The third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit the Lahore police as 36 members of the force, from traffic warden to DIG rank, have been tested positive for novel coronavirus on Monday.

The police command has asked subordinates to deny services or entry to the public without masks to check the spread of coronavirus.

Lahore CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar has said that as many as 644 police officers and officials of the city police have so far been affected by Covid-19 and out of these as many as 604 police officers and officials have joined their duties after recovery.

Four of the victims had died due to the Covid-19. As many as two DIGs, three senior police officers with SSP rank, seven SPs, 17 DSPs, 22 inspectors, 58 sub-inspectors, 102 traffic wardens along with junior and senior clerks have suffered from coronavirus.

Dogar said in the wake of the increasing threats of the third wave of Corona pandemic in the city, Lahore Police has been high alert and ready to ensure implementation of the government SOPs to protect the citizens as well as personnel's of Lahore Police from its deadly effect.

Members of Lahore police are comparatively at more risk of coronavirus than any other citizen as they are performing field duties in a vulnerable situation at pickets, front desks, quarantine centre, police stations and at all important places of the city, dealing with the general public, making them aware of Coronavirus and containing their unnecessary movement in the city, he added.

Read more: Five sub-sectors sealed amid rise in Covid cases

As many as 36 police officers and officials of city police affected from Covid-19 are still quarantined at their homes. All-out efforts are being made to protect the employees of Lahore police from the dangers of Coronavirus ensuring all possible precautionary measures including wearing of safety masks, use of sanitisers, germs killing spray and other safety measures.

Dogar directed all police officers to strictly follow the SOPs related to precautionary measures regarding coronavirus in police offices and during field duty in letter and spirit. Dogar said that no citizens and complainants should be allowed to enter any police facilitation centre, driving testing centres and all the offices of Lahore police without safety masks and precautionary measures.

“Proper arrangements to wash face and hands should be made at all offices of Lahore Police, CCPO implemented. Awareness has also been given to different units of Lahore Police on regular basis through seminars and workshops regarding precautions and safety measures against the coronavirus. Lahore police will continue to strictly implement coronavirus SOPs to contain the movement of the public in the areas under the smart lockdown imposed by the Punjab government. He furthermore asked the families to stay at home and stay safe instead of roaming about on roads and streets for the sake of their own health safety. Implementation of the steps being taken for the safety of the public from the coronavirus would be ensured at every cost, he added. “All stakeholders in society need to play their pivotal role in the fight against coronavirus besides strictly adhering to the health advisory on precautionary measures so that every citizen could be saved from this pandemic,” Dogar concluded.

On March 14, IGP Inam Ghani also had issued a circular on the implementation of coronavirus SOPs. It read, “We are experiencing a very sharp rise in Covid which necessitates strict adherence to all SOPs by all personnel and requisite supervisory vigil.