KOLKATA: At least 26 National Security Guard (NSG) commandos and staff — all fully vaccinated — at the agency’s New Town hub have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the last four days. While NSG officials said that all of them are asymptomatic and are under quarantine inside the hub, state health department officials have already reached out to them and offered help.
According to sources, a bulk testing was carried out by the agency on their personnel who returned to the hub either from leave or from other units in other states last week as per the official protocol. That is when a number of personnel started testing positive to the virus.
The tests were conducted at state government-run centres and after the reports started coming out, it moved the health department officials. TOI tried to contact the director of health Services for an official response, but he couldn’t be reached.
Debasis Sen, chairperson of New Town Kolkata Development Authority, under whose jurisdiction the New Town NSG hub falls, said a meeting has been convened with an NSG official on Tuesday to discuss the issue. “We are going to sanitise their campus and will ask if they need any support from us.
We are holding a meeting with one of their officials on Tuesday to ensure that all Covid protocols are maintained,” said Sen. A senior NSG official confirmed about the personnel testing positive but assured that the situation has come under control and that all of them are safe.
“All of them are asymptomatic and none have any major discomfort. As per protocol, we tested a group of persons and also keep those coming from outside to our hub at a mandatory quarantine for 10 days. The situation is under control and there is nothing to fear,” said the official.
There are around 400 officials, staff and their families in the campus. The NSG officials, being frontline workers, were administered the vaccine before it was thrown open for civilians. Doctors said that in case of breakthrough infections, there is nothing to panic.
“Those, who are double-jabbed, are likely to have a mild infection. If all are vaccinated, symptoms should be mild and chances of mortality would be low,” said RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences intensivist Sauren Panja.
