No Covid-19 field duty for cops over 50 years of age in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With more officers coming down with Covid-19, the state police chief has directed that no cop over 50 years of age should be placed on Covid-19-related field duty. They are to be reassigned to other duties, including office work.
Loknath Behera issued the instructions on the same day that the state lost its first police officer to Covid-19. Grade sub-inspector V P Ajithan had been undergoing treatment at Kottayam Medical College Hospital.
In his order, the DGP said that even police officials who are below 50 years of age but have comorbidities should not be put on field duty.Behera asked district police chiefs to brief officers on health protocols to be followed while on and off duty. “Their family members should also be asked to follow health protocols. Policemen should not travel except for official purposes and essential needs,” the DGP said.
The treatment of officials who have tested positive is to be followed up to ensure they get the best available facilities. One officer should monitor colleagues under treatment. District police chiefs have been asked to organize online classes, webinars and briefings over wireless to uphold the morale of officers.
The state police chief entrusted ADGP (training) B Sandhya with organizing such online programmes and other initiatives to help the rank and file cope with the mental trauma caused by the ongoing situation. Even otherwise, Kerala Police have been revising their training modules to include more stress-busting sessions for the psychological conditioning of inductees. These include yoga sessions and other mental fitness techniques. The department has also conducted workshops for select police officials from across the state.
As many as 84 state police officers have tested positive for Covid-19, so far, out of which 18 are currently under treatment, the police chief said. In the phase-III of Covid-19 spread in the state the force restored its field strength, which was reduced to 50% in the initial phase, to earlier numbers, resulting in more number of officers falling ill.