RADHICA DE SILVA
Three soldiers and two Coast Guard officers who have been in self-quarantine at the Moruga Police Station since Monday have been given the all-clear to leave the station.
This as COVID-19 tests results done on a Moruga police officers turned up negative. The officer had come into contact with a COVID-positive case who had been staying at his home.
Last week, the officer came to the station to turn in his weapon. After the associate of his was sent to the Couva Hospital having tested positive, the station was shut down and sanitized.
Thirteen police officers from the station were sent home but the T&T Regiment mandated that the soldiers be put on self-quarantine. The soldiers were told to return to their camp at La Romaine. They are expected to return home to their families pending clearance from the medical team.
Meanwhile, at the Brasso police station, officers said they were still concerned for their health. A senior officer said officers were continuing to take sick leave although an instruction was given that any officer who absents himself from duty will have to answer.
A source told Guardian Media that officers were willing to take disciplinary action rather than put themselves and their family’s in danger.
The officers have been calling for a shutdown of the Gran Couva and Brasso police stations after two police officers tested positive for COVID-19.
More than four police officers have been quarantined but 20 others say they could have been exposed to the virus. The officers from Brasso are willing to occupy the Brasso Police post temporarily until the stations are fully sanitized and CVID-19 tests are done.
On Monday, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith confirmed that two police officers had tested positive for COVID-19. So far several police stations including, Moruga, Barrackpore, Gran Couva, Brasso, Police Administrative Building have been closed for some hours and sanitized. However fully sanitization had not been done in Gran Couva and Brasso, a source said.
