Several hundred central paramilitary troopers and personnel of other central agencies in the northeastern states have tested positive for coronavirus, ministers and officials said on Tuesday night.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, in a tweet on Tuesday night, said that of the total of 318 COVID-19 patients in the state, 186 are Border Security Force (BSF) troopers.

State Health Minister A.L. Hek said that two Indian Air Force employees and two staffers of other central paramilitary forces have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state so far.

Health officials in Mizoram said that 26 National Disaster Response Force, 21 Assam Rifles and 19 BSF troopers had tested positive in the state. The NDRF personnel had recently returned from Assam, Manipur, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. In all, 238 people were infected in Mizoram but 159 of them have recovered.

Many Indian Army personnel have also tested positive in Nagaland and other northeastern states.

In Tripura, around 200 BSF personnel, and their family members had been infected by coronavirus but all of them have recovered.   (IANS)