Almost 100 police officers from the Central Division are currently in quarantine due to COVID-19.
This was revealed during a police town meeting hosted by Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh in Buccarro, Freeport, last night.
Indarsingh told the residents that he got worried when he saw no police at the start of the meeting and made a call to Florence Hodge-Griffith, the ACP in charge of South and Central. The MP said he was informed that the reason for the early absence of officers was due to the fact that 92 policemen from the Central Division were currently in quarantine.
However, the meeting was later attended by Sgt Dean James of the Freeport CID and ASP Manick of the Chaguanas Police Station.
Sgt James said the Central Division had been thrown into turmoil for the past two days due to the repercussions of the disease. He said from a management and operational perspective, the division was trying to get its feet back on the ground. He said at least six officers had tested positive for COVID and because of contact tracing, the entire staff at the Couva Police Station had to be sent on quarantine. He said this was also extended to the Chaguanas station.
James assured, however, that things were put in place to ensure citizens would continue to be protected. He said the Couva station was operating on limited staff and was being supported by the Guard and Emergency Branch. He said officers were being pulled from outlying stations and from the Northern Task Force. “We have enough strength to manage any instances in the Freeport district,” Sgt James told Guardian Media.
ASP Manick said he could not confirm the exact number of officers who had been quarantined.