The Coronavirus pandemic has hit the Indian Army as well, with a 34-year-old soldier testing positive for COVID-19 in Leh, Ladakh.
The soldier belongs to the infantry regiment known as the Ladakh Scouts, also known as the “Snow Warriors”.
He is a resident of Chuhot village in Leh and the virus was passed on to him by his father, who had already contracted the infection. His father had returned from a pilgrimage in Iran by an Air India flight on February 20 and is in quarantine at the Ladakh Heart Foundation since February 29.
The soldier was on leave from February 25 and rejoined duty on March 2. He was quarantined on March 7 and tested positive on March 16.
According to news agency PTI’s report, the soldier has been isolated at the Sonam Nurboo Memorial (SNM) Hospital. His sister, wife and two children are also quarantined at the same hospital.
According to reports, even though the soldier had rejoined duty, he was helping his family during his father’s quarantine period and stayed at Chuchot village for sometime as well.
In yet another case of the Army, an officer has been kept in isolation at a military institute in Pune as he was showing symptoms of the virus but he has not been tested for coronavirus, yet.
The number of coronavirus cases in India reached 147 on Wednesday, with 10 fresh cases reported from various parts of the country, according to the Health Ministry.
(With PTI inputs)