At least 50 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel who have been engaged in relief operations during Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal have tested positive for COVID-19.
As per reports, the personnel are from the NDRFMundali Battalion at Cuttack.
They were tested on the basis of contact tracing after one of them deployed in West Bengal was found infected a few days ago.
Over 170 personnel have been tested till now after they returned to their base in Cuttack, Odisha, from the cyclone-affected areas in West Bengal.
Most of the people who were found to be infected by coronavirus were asymptomatic.
“In view of inquires it is informed that on testing of NDRF personnel in Odisha after return from Cyclone Amphan duties 50 were found positive of nearly 190 personnel tested for COVID-19,” the Director General (DG) of NDRF tweeted.
“So far all these personnel are asymptomatic and under observation,” he added.
The NDRF had deployed 19 teams in West Bengal for relief and rescue work during and after the cyclone that made landfall on May 20.
Each team has about 45 personnel.
Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country increased to 2,66,598 on Tuesday.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in the country is 129813 and the death toll due to the virus has been 7471 so far.
A total of 129313 people have been cured or discharged from hospitals till now.