26 Policemen of Marine Drive Police Station have tested positive after the Marine Drive promenade was thrown open for public use in June.
Ever Since the Marine Drive Promenade was thrown open for walkers, the number of policemen on duty in that particular area who have got infected with Corona has climbed from zero to 26.
These policemen are tasked with ensuring that people maintain social distance, wear masks and follow other rules.
They shoo away people who are violating these rules or spending time sitting on the promenade and in general asking them to maintain social distancing.
Of course, they are acutely aware that they are at risk and take all precautions but yet 26 of them got infected and have tested positive.
55 policemen of Mumbai police have lost their lives since the Corona outbreak. That has made the police force very sensitive to the precautions they need to follow while in the field.
Yet, 26 people have got infected ever since the Marine Drive promenade was thrown open in June.
Is it then that there is something that we don’t know about the transmission of this virus? After all the promenade is a huge place which is open space and has high velocity winds most of the time blowing from the ocean.
These are not enclosed and cramped spaces like Dharavi or even a railway station of Mumbai on a normal day.
If 26 policemen have got infected in a place that would normally be considered low risk environment, the questions that beg answers are;
Do we know enough about transmission of virus even in open spaces?
Is the virus thus air borne and if so, how long does it stay in the air?
Is there any other reason for so many cops of a particular police station getting infected, like maybe the promenade is not the reason?
Maybe they are getting infected from each other or from asymptomatic carriers among themselves?
Are they throwing caution to the wind when in company of known people?
We think this merits a deeper investigation because it holds the key to spreading of the virus. If it is spreading in such open spaces then going in for unlock and starting public transport such as local trains, metro trains and buses will lead to a disaster.
The red flags are up, we can take note of these red flags or suffer the consequences when the virus returns in the second wave.