57 officer trainees test COVID-19 positive at Mussoorie-based civil services training academy
New Delhi: As many as 57 civil services officer trainees have tested positive for coronavirus at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) at Mussoorie, prompting authorities to close "all non-essential departments" there.
The academy is taking every measure to break the chain of COVID-19 spread in consonance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the District Administration, Dehradun, a statement issued by the Personnel Ministry on Saturday said.
All officer trainees, who have tested positive, have been quarantined in a dedicated COVID care centre, it said.
It said, "57 officer trainees have tested COVID positive at LBSNAA since November 20, 2020. A total of 428 officer trainees are on campus for the 95th foundation course which is conducted for new entrants to the civil services."
The academy has conducted more than 162 RT-PCR tests in coordination with district authorities since Friday, the statement said.
"The academy has decided to conduct all activities, including training, online till the midnight of December 3, 2020. The protocols relating to social distancing, frequent hand wash, and the wearing of masks are being strictly followed by the officer trainees and staff members," it said.
Food and other necessities are being delivered to the officer trainees in their hostels by staff who are equipped adequately in protective gear, it added.
LBSNAA Director Sanjeev Chopra said the academy, the Dehradun District Administration, and the Health Department of Uttrakhand are working together to address the challenge.
"All non-essential departments have been closed, complete sanitization for the entire campus has been undertaken," he told PTI.
The LBSNAA is a premier training academy for civil servants.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
