25 K-P police personnel test positive for Covid

BAJAUR:

At least 25 police constables undergoing training at the Buner Training Centre tested positive for the prevailing coronavirus over the weekend.

The District Police Officer of Bajaur, Shehzad Kokab Farooq said that all the Covid positive constables hail from tribal districts. “Only 25 out of the 150 men from Bajaur Levies being trained since few weeks tested positive,” he said.

The DPO added that tests of all the police personnel were carried out and 12 tested positive whereas 13 more results are still awaited but they have developed symptoms.

All the affected Levies personnel have been repatriated to Bajaur who have been quarantined in their homes and they would resume their training programme once they test negative.

Negligence from local authorities

While speaking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity, an official of the police training centre said no safety measures were adopted during the pandemic while six

positive cases were reported by the training center to the provincial authorities but no action was taken.

"We brought the arising situation into the notice of DPO Daggar and the district commissioner but no one took us seriously nor was the facility closed for the personnel who tested positive," the official said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2021.