INS Shivaji Lonavla: 150 trainees to be tested for COVID after 7 found positive

Mubarak Ansari

Pune, June 22, 2020: Three more trainee sailors tested COVID19 positive today taking the total count of infected trainees to seven at the INS Shivaji in Lonavla, which is the premier training establishment of the Indian Navy. The officials said that now the whole batch of 150 trainees will be tested for COVID19.

Today a meeting was held between Pune district administration officials led by Maval Tehsildar Madhusudan Barge and INS Shivaji authorities. A total of eight quarantine and isolation facilities have been marked on the sprawling campus. The trainees are from the same batch who arrived at the campus from different parts of the countries in the last 10-15 days. The first trainee was tested after he showed symptoms on June 16. Later eight others, who were in close contact with him, were tested. The test results of two of them have come positive in the last two days.

Meanwhile, the hostel block has been sanitized and restrictions have been imposed on the movement of naval personnel on the campus. The officials said that there is no threat the trainees as they are young and do not have co-morbidities.

INS Shivaji was established in 1945 and it is one of the premier training establishments of Indian Navy. The establishment has been entrusted with the responsibility of imparting training to officers and sailors of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and friendly foreign navies in the domains of Marine Engineering. Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence including Damage Control and Fire Fighting, Main & Auxiliary Controls.

Overall, the establishment conducts more than 500 courses for officers and sailors and has an annual training throughput of more than 2800 officers and 7800 sailors. Shivaji also has the proud privilege of imparting training to personnel from 20 countries worldwide with an annual throughput of over 250 international trainees on an average.