Wear mask on duty: Mehsana SP to cops

AHMEDABAD: Mehsana district with a population of approximately 20.4 lakh and an area of about 4,500km has become the first district where policemen have been instructed to wear masks to protect themselves from coronavirus.
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“There are about 2,200 policemen and officers in Mehsana district and we cannot afford to expose them to the virus. I have instructed them to wear masks.It is not that they have to wear a particular type of mask but whatever is available in the market they have to use it. The SP office will bear the expense of the masks so that the policemen don’t have to worry about the prices also,” said superintendent of police Manish Singh.
A 2013 batch IPS officer, Singh, who was recently transferred to Mehsana, said policemen run high risk of getting infected by the virus. “When the World Health Organisation has declared it as pandemic and the state and the central governments have issued advisories, it becomes necessary to come with such instructions,” he said.
According to sources, more than 30 persons from Mehsana have been screened for coronavirus and have come out safe. Top state police officials said the decision to instruct policemen wear mask while on public duty and in public places is under consideration and soon an order will be passed for the policemen across the state.