Mumbai, May 13 (IANS): A 57-year-old policeman attached to Sewri Police Station succumbed to COVID-19 early on Wednesday morning, officials said.

This takes the death toll of policemen claimed by coronavirus to five in Mumbai and eight in the state.

According to Sewri Senior Police Inspector G. B. Kurade, Assistant Sub-Inspector Murlidhar Waghmare breathed his last at a hospital in Navi Mumbai late on Tuesday.

Following the state police's decision last week taking off duty all policemen above the age of 55 as they could be vulnerable to COVID-19, Waghmare had been told to remain at home.

He is survived by his wife and a son who live in Navi Mumbai, said Kurade.

Waghmare was reportedly suffering from hypertension when he contracted the disease and succumbed in hospital.

Besides Waghmare, another four policemen, mostly in their 50s, have already fallen victim to COVID-19 in the past two weeks in Mumbai, and one each in Pune, Nashik and Solapur.

Another 1,000-plus police personnel, including 106 officers, have tested positive around the state and are under treatment in various hospitals, among them being 400 from Mumbai.

Several thousands of policemen in the state are in quarantine as a precautionary measure.