21 Navy personnel in Western Naval Command test positive for coronavirus
New Delhi: At least 21 Indian Navy personnel serving at the Western Naval Command in Mumbai have tested positive for coronavirus, triggering concerns among the top military brass.
It is the first such case of a sizable number of military personnel being treated for COVID-19. The Indian Army has reported eight cases of the deadly virus so far.
"A total of 21 serving personnel have been tested positive for COVID-19 within naval premises at Mumbai. This number includes 20 sailors of INS Angre, a shore establishment," the Navy said in a statement.
There has been no case of coronavirus onboard any of the ships and submarines of the Indian Navy.
A number of leading navies are grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. A sailor on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt, an aircraft carrier, reported as many as 500 cases of the virus. The French Navy has also been hit by the pandemic
The Navy said all the infected personnel are undergoing treatment at a naval hospital in Mumbai. It said most of the people infected by the virus had come in contact with a sailor who had tested positive for COVID19 on April 7.
"They all reside in the same accommodation block at INS Angre. All primary contacts were tested for COVID-19. Entire in-living block was immediately put under quarantine," the Navy said, adding the INS Angre too has been put under the total lockdown.
Sources said the top defence ministry officials as well as the naval headquarters are keeping an eye on the incident. They said the Navy has ordered all its establishments to maintain highest precaution to protect the personnel from COVID-19.
Last week, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, in a video message, told his personnel that vital operational assets such as ships and submarines must remain free from the virus.
"The coronavirus pandemic is unprecedented and it has never been seen before. Its impact has been extraordinary across the globe, including India," he said.
The danger posed by this disease is real, imminent and unprecedented, he noted.
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Trump says he ‘hasn’t even thought about’ continuing Iran ceasefire
Washington: US President Donald Trump has said he has not yet considered whether he would continue the ceasefire involving Iran, while also claiming the United States holds the advantage in negotiations.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he was prepared to make a deal with “whoever is running the show” in Iran.
“They are fighting with each other, there’s tremendous infighting. They’re probably fighting for leadership in many cases. I think they’re fighting not to be leader because we knocked out two levels of leaders,” he said.
Trump added, “When they want they can call me. We have all the cards, we’ve won everything.”
Referring to ongoing negotiations, he said, “They gave us a paper that should’ve been better. And, interestingly, immediately when I cancelled it [envoy trip to Pakistan], within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better.”
“We talked about they will not have a nuclear weapon, very simple … They offered a lot, but not enough,” he added.
When asked whether he would continue the ceasefire, Trump replied, “I haven’t even thought about it.”
The remarks come as uncertainty remains over the future of the temporary truce and broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
