The search for the new state BJP president has begun after the hasty exit of Rajeev Bindal and intense lobbying for the post is being witnessed. While it is not clear whether the party will appoint a regular president or opt for a working president, five names have reportedly been forwarded to the top leadership.

Senior party leader and spokesman for the party Randhir Sharma, who is considered close to former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal; party general secretary Trilok Jamwal, who is close to BJP national president JP Nadda; Rakesh Jamwal, MLA and confidant of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur; Rajiv Bharadwaj, Chairman of Kangra Cooperative Bank who enjoys the blessings of former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar; Ram Singh, who is considered close to the Sangh Parivar, are the hot contenders but much will depend on Nadda, who hails from Himachal.

Bindal as the state BJP president was Nadda’s choice and this time also, his say would be crucial in the appointment of the new president. Other leaders such as Indu Goswami and Vidhan Sabha Speaker Vipin Parmar could emerge as dark horse, party sources said.

The Chief Minister is likely to discuss the issue with the top leadership, as the matter is also linked to the expansion of the Cabinet, which has been inordinately delayed due to Covid-19. There are at least six strong contenders for two vacant Cabinet berths.

Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday reported seven new cases of coronavirus, taking the state’s case tally to 353.

Kinnaur reported the two cases of the deadly disease—the first ones reported in the district so far.

Shimla reported a new case of coronavirus, taking the total in the district to 10. The case was reported in Jeori in Shimla district.

All the three fresh cases were returnees from Delhi and were under institutional quarantine at Jeori and Kinnaur, said Shimla DC.

They are all asymptomatic and have been kept in isolation rooms at the institutional quarantine centres, a health official said.

Four more tested positive in Kangra, taking a total number of coronavirus cases in the district to 94.

Those who tested positive include a 30-years-old man, a resident of  Badhal village in Fatehpur, who had travelled back from Madhya Prades on May 27 and was presently under institutional quarantine Sansarpur Terrace. He was asymptomatic.

A 31-year-old man, who came back from Pathankot on May 28 and was presently in home-quarantine in Gangath near Indora also tested positive.

A 25-year-old man, a resident of Golwan in Fatehpur tehsil, presently under institutional quarantine in Fatehpur for violating containment zone orders also tested positive for the contagion on Wednesday. He had no travel history and the administration is tracing his contact history.

A 22-year-old man, who travelled from Delhi by an Air India flight on May 29 and was presently under institutional quarantine at Fatehpur tested positive for coronavirus.

All of them were shifted to COVID containment centre inBaijnath.

Source : The Tribune

Himachal Pradesh on Monday reported five new cases of coronavirus, taking the state’s case tally to 335.

Solan reported two fresh cases of the deadly disease, taking the total in the district to 32. Two men, who had a travelled to West Bengal and returned to Nalagarh in May, tested positive for coronavirus. They were under institutional quarantine, where their first samples had tested negative for the contagion. They were tested again for the second time after 14 days and have now tested positive for coronavirus, said Medical Officer Health, Solan, Dr NK Gupta.

They were shifted to ESIC COVID hospital at Katha in Barotiwala for treatment.

There are 18 active cases in the district, while 12 have been cured and two referred to DDU hospital Shimla.

Chamba reported three new cases of the contagion, taking the total in the district to 23. Those who tested positive include a 29-year-old woman who had come from Delhi, and a 27-year-old man and an 18-year-old man who had come back from Tamil Nadu.

They were asymptomatic and had been placed under institutional quarantine. They have now been shifted to COVID containment centre in Baloo.

Source: The Tribune

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the state government had relaxed curfew from 6 am to 8 pm to facilitate residents.

As a precautionary measure, all inter-state movement will be regulated through permits issued by the district magistrate and the entry of people into the state would be allowed with passes only.

People coming from other parts of the country would be quarantined, he maintained.

The CM said 1.60 lakh Himachalis, stranded in various parts of the country, had returned to the state since April 25. About 91,000 people had been kept in home quarantine and over 7,000 had been kept in institutional quarantine. The focus should be on tracing and screening of all contacts of Covid positive patients to ensure their timely treatment and to check the further spread of the virus.

He also presided over a video conference with all DCs, SPs and CMOs here on Sunday. Thakur said the DCs and SPs would provide adequate police force for crowd management and law and order maintenance at all bus stands and drivers, conductors and passengers would follow all safety protocols issued by the Health Department.

As per government orders issued by Chief Secretary Anil Khachi, religious places will open but only for local residents. Also, hotels can open but only for people visiting state for official work or business. People from within Himachal too can stay in hotels but no person from outside can come.

As per today’s orders of the Personnel Department, all government offices will be back to normal functioning with 100 per cent staff in attendance from tomorrow. However, the arrival and exit time of the employees will be staggered between 10 am to 5 pm and 10.30 to 5.30 pm to ensure social distancing.

“The provision of thermal screening, hand wash, use of sanitiser will be ensured at entry and exit points and efforts will be made to make the maximum use of electronic mode of official communication,” said RD Dhiman, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Personnel. This order would, however, not be applicable in containment zones.

He said there will be frequent sanitisation of the workplace with wearing of masks in office being mandatory. Expectant mothers, employees with underlying medical condition and those having symptom of Covid, should take extra precautions. The use of Aarogya Setu app will be mandatory for all employees.

Source : The Tribune

Himachal Government extended its school holidays by another 15 days till June 15—a development that comes as state’s coronavirus cases continue to climb.

Schools had declared holidays until May 31, in line with the nationwide lockdown called in the country to slow the spread of COVID-19.

“The summer vacations in schools were advanced. We hoped that the situation would improve…But safety of children is more important and in view of increase in number of COVID-19 cases the government has decided to keep the schools closed up until June 15,” Education Minister Suresh Bharadwaj said.

Bharadwaj had said previously that reopening schools would depend on when public transport would function. However, the government decided to keep schools closed because lack of adequate buses would present a challenge to enforcing social distancing measures.

The government is now considering a phased opening up of schools in the state.

Meanwhile, the state government is yet to decide on when to schedule Class 12’s geography examination that was still pending. Uncertainty also continues over final examinations for undergraduate courses, which would cause some delay in the new academic session.

The development comes on a day when the central government issued orders for phased easing of lockdown restrictions first imposed in the country on March 25.

The MHA’s new orders says that a decision on opening up of schools and educational institutions—which come under phase two of easing restrictions—would be taken in July.

Source: The Tribune

Ending speculation about who would succeed Sita Ram Mardi, Director General of Police, who retires on Sunday, the government has appointed 1989 batch IPS officer Sanjay Kundu as his successor.

Kundu, a 1989 batch IPS officer, is currently serving as Principal Secretary to the CM besides looking after the excise and taxation department.

Though Kundu was the frontrunner for the post there was speculation that 1984 batch officer Somesh Goyal, DGP (Prisons), could be re-installed. He was removed from the DGP post following public outrage on the inept handling of the rape of a minor girl from Kotkhai two years back.

The Union Public Service Commission had approved the names of three IPS officers. These included Kundu, Goyal and 1988 batch officer Tapan Deka. Deka, who has spent most part of his service in the Intelligence Bureau, though senior to Kundu, was not keen to return to the state.

Prior to being posted as Principal Secretary to the CM, Kundu worked as Joint Secretary in the Union Water Resources Ministry. He has worked in leadership roles with the United Nations, and state and national governments. He has served as Police Commissioner in the UN System where he carried out works relating to national capacity building, conflict mitigation, human rights, protection of civilians and humanitarian support.

Source : The Tribune

Five deaths and nine more coronavirus positive cases were reported in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, taking the number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 291, officials said.

Of the fresh cases, five were reported from Hamirpur and four from Kangra, they said, adding that all of them had recently returned from other states.

Four of them had returned from Maharashtra, two each from Gujarat and Delhi, and one from Rajasthan, the officials added.

A 31-year-old man and his 28-year-old wife tested positive for the virus in Hamirpur, Deputy Commissioner Harikesh Meena said.

The couple had recently returned from Ahmedabad and was quarantined at a college in Nadaun, the DC said.

A 34-year-old man quarantined at a school in Bakarti, a 32-year-old woman quarantined at a Nadaun hotel and a 57-year-old man quarantined at a Laliyar school also tested positive, he said.

Their samples were taken on May 26 and their reports arrived on Friday morning, he added.

Meena said they were being shifted to district COVID-19 care centres.

Hamirpur now has 98 COVID-19 cases, over one-third of the total reported in Himachal Pradesh, a senior district official said, adding that 88 of these are active and one person has died of the disease.

Kangra reported four new cases of the deadly disease, taking the total in the district to 73. Three of the new patients had returned from Maharashtra on May 25 and were kept under institutional quarantine at Parur. They are being shifted to COVID-19 containment centre at Dadh.

Those who tested positive include a 42-year woman from Sanghol, a 33-year-old man from Gadhran and a 27-year-old man from Thural.

A 75-year-old man who had a kidney ailment also tested positive on Friday. He was on dialysis and was kept under home quarantine after he came from Delhi four days ago. He was being shifted to medical college Nerchownk in Mandi owing to his health issues.

Hamirpur has the highest number of active cases at 88, followed by 52 in Kangra, 15 in Una, 14 in Solan, 11 in Bilaspur, nine each in Chamba and Mandi, seven in Shimla, two in Sirmaur and one in Kullu. —with PTI

Source : The Tribune

After the recommendation of the Cabinet sub-committee, the state Transport Department, in a late-night development, has decided to resume intra-district and inter-district public transport in the state from June 1, even after the state has witnessed a sharp 12-times surge in COVID-19 cases for the last 23 days.

The public health experts warn that the resumption of bus services run the risk of further spread of COVID-19 infection that has already witnessed 12-times surge in the last 23 days.

“The infection was imported through trains from outside the state. It can also spread through public transport as it will be difficult to control the passengers observing social distancing. Sanitisation of vehicles is another issue,” said a community medicine expert requesting anonymity.

The state Transport Minister, Gobind Singh Thakur, however, told The Tribune that the government had decided not to run the bus services in the hot containment zones to avoid the risk of the spread of the virus.

“But public transport will be resumed from June 1 with 60 per cent capacity,” he added.

Thakur said the state government has urged the private operators to resume bus services with the HRTC from June 1.

“We have waived the state road tax and have postponed payment of fees and other taxes till July. We will consider their other demands as well but will not increase the bus fare as we cannot burden the public,” he added.

The state Transport Minister said the Transport Department would provide sanitisers, face masks and face shields to the drives and conductors. The district administration would ensure law and order, he added.

The officials, however, opined that the arrival of a large number of Himachal residents from COVID-infected states for the last three weeks had resulted in the import of infection in the green zones.

The private transporters, who cater to the 40 per cent of public transport service in the state and have about 3,200 buses in the private sector, are of the view that they were already running into huge losses due to the lockdown and the high cost of transportation.

“We would resume the public transport at 60 per cent of the seating capacity only when the state government compensate us,” the president of a private bus operator association, RK Prashar said.

“It is difficult to ready the buses by June 1 as these are run out service due to the lockdown,” he added.

Source : The Tribune

Fifteen people, out of the 43, who had come to Hamirpur district from Mumbai and were sent home before their coronavirus test reports were recieved, tested positive for the deadly disease late on Wednesday night.

The moment the report was received late last night, the administration went into a tizzy to bring back the 15 people to the quarantine centre from their homes. It was between 10 pm to 3 am in the morning that the infected, 11 men and four women, were brought back in a haste to the quarantine centre, where they had been lodged before being sent home. Majority of the people belonged to Barsar, Nadaun and Bhoranj.

The highest number of coronavirus cases in Himachal-93- have been reported from Hamirpur district, which currently has 85 active cases.

“The mistake happened due to a miscommunication and I have sought a report in this regard,” said Harikesh Meena, Deputy Commissioner, Hamirpur.

The infected people were sent back to their villages despite their being highly vulnerable after returning from COVID-hotspot Mumbai.

Though the first report of these 43 persons was negative, as per the guidelines, they could only be sent home after a second test. All the 43 people had been kept under institutional quarantine at Navodya Vidyalaya at Dungri.

Two women Covid patients, both suffering from chronic kidney disease, died yesterday, taking the total number of persons succumbing to the virus to five. As many as 22 cases were reported during the day today, taking the number of positive cases in the stae to 225.

The two deaths took place at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, and Nerchowk Medical College, Mandi.

A 63-year-old patient of Ratti village in Balh, Mandi, had been under treatment at Nerchowk medical college since May 19 but her condition deteriorated following which she was put on a ventilator.

She was declared dead at 4:15 pm. Dr Devender Sharma, Senior Medical Superintendent, of the medical college, confirmed the death. Her cremation will take place tomorrow.

Another 72-year-old woman died at the IGMC late last night where she had been brought from Hamirpur for dialysis on May 23. The woman, hailing from Dugha in Hamirpur, was a renal patient and had returned with her husband from Jalandhar where they had gone for renal treatment. Her cremation took place at Kanlog. With this, five Covid deaths have taken place in the state.

The US-returned Tibetan was the first victim, followed by a 21-year-old boy from Sarkaghat in Mandi, also a renal patient, who died at the IGMC where he had been brought for dialysis. The third death was that of a Delhi-returned man from Sarkaghat.

6 cases in Shimla

Six Covid cases were reported in Shimla today. These included three youths, in their mid-twenties, who had returned from Mumbai on May 18. They belong to Chopal. They had been in institutional quarantine at Deha government rest house near Matiana.

Day’s fresh cases were six from Shimla, eight Kangra, four Chamba, three Bilaspur and one from Hamirpur. The number of cases may to go up as two trains from Mumbai and Ahmedabad have brought back 1,500 Himachalis.

12 cases in Kangra, Chamba

Dharamsala: Eight more tested positive in Kangra, taking the total number of Covid positive cases in the district to 59. As per information provided by the health authorities here, 39-year-old man and 36-year-old man from Dadh village near Chamunda Devi temple have tested positive. Both had returned from Ahmedabad. Four more persons, who had returned from Mumbai and were in institutional quarantine at Paror in Kangra district, also tested positive.

Meanwhile in Chamba, four, who had returned from Chennai, tested positive.

Baddi woman +ve

• A 23-year-old Baddi resident tested Covid-19 positive at the GMCH, Chandigarh
• She was referred to Chandigarh from health centre, Baddi, on May 22 and delivered a baby on Sunday
• The woman’s mother-in-law and husband were with her
• Her father-in-law is at Kailash Vihar Colony at Baddi and works as a security guard at an industrial unit

Source : The Tribune

The Himachal Government issued guidelines for those travelling to the state by air or rail, making a 14-day institutional quarantine mandatory for those coming from red zones.

As per guidelines issued by the Disaster Management Cell in the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, for all air and rail travellers, air ticket, boarding pass or confirmed ticket will be sufficient to facilitate further movement from the airport or railway station to their destinations. A valid ID proof will have to be shown, wherever needed. However, the entry and exit into or from the state will be allowed only between 7 am and 7 pm.

Those coming from a red zone will be quarantined but have the choice to opt for the paid 14-day quarantine facility while those coming from an orange or green zone will have to stay under 14-day home quarantine. If a person coming from a red zone is in possession of a Covid test certificate by an ICMR-certified centre done within three days and the report is negative, he need not stay in institutional quarantine.

All those entering the state will have to download Arogya Setu App on their phones before boarding a flight or train. All persons, who are placed in institutional quarantine, will have to undergo Covid test between six and 10 day and, if found negative, can be allowed to proceed to their homes.

All those proceeding home after institutional quarantine will have to inform the urban local body or panchayat about their arrival.

Guidelines

• An ID proof will have to be shown, wherever needed
• The entry into the state will be allowed only between 7 am and 7 pm
• Those quarantined will have a choice to opt for the paid 14-day quarantine facility
• Those coming from orange or green zone will have to be home quarantine
• Travellers will have to download Arogya Setu app on their phones

The total number of coronavirus cases in the state rose to 185 yesterday, as 17 persons tested positive for the infection. Most of the patients are those who had returned from Mumbai and various states. The fresh cases were reported from Kangra (6), Mandi (5), Solan (4), Shimla (1) and Una (1).

Six reported in Kangra

Dharamsala: The highest number of six cases were reported from Kangra, taking the tally to 49, including 13 cured and one death, in the district. Those who tested positive had arrived from Mumbai on May 18 and had been in quarantine at Paror near Palampur.

They include a 49-year-old man from Palampur, a 50-year-old man from Jaisinghpur, a 70-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man from Lambagaon near Jaisinghpur, and a 44 year-old woman from Bhawarna. Another man (68), who had come from Jalandhar, has also tested positive; he is a resident of Sari Tanda.

As many as 800 persons had arrived in Himachal from Mumbai last night.

Had returned from Bengal

Solan: Five West Bengal returnees, including two brothers, tested positive at Nalagarh, taking the count in Solan district to 19. All five patients, who hail from Mittian, Sarour, Kharopna and Tallow villages in Nalagarh, had returned on May 19.

Solan Medical Officer NK Gupta said they were among 91 others, who had been in institutional quarantine at Ramshehar ever since their return. They are in the age group of 27 to 40 years. Two Covid positive brothers, aged 27 and 29 years, hail from Sarour village.

Kidney patient tests +ve

Hamirpur: A 73-year-old woman from Hamirpur, who along with her husband had come from Jalandhar for dialysis, tested positive at the IGMC, Shimla. Her husband had also tested positive. Now, the total number of Covid cases in Shimla is two — the earlier one is cured.

Source : The Tribune

The highest single-day spike of 46 cases, taking the tally of corona patients to 156, led to panic in the state yesterday. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said, if need be, there would be restricted entry in the state.

Himachal, which was aiming to be corona-free, about 10 days back with only one active case, has witnessed a sudden surge in the cases ever since special trains brought back its residents from Maharashtra, Goa and Chennai. However, most of the patients have returned from Mumbai.

The total number of active cases has shot up to 90 while the number of cured cases is 55. A total of 22,399 persons have tested for corona while 34,734 have been under surveillance.

Most came from Maharashtra

Hamirpur: The highest number of 35 persons tested coronavirus positive in the district, taking the tally of the total patient to 50. Of these, most of the patients had returned from other states, mostly Maharashtra.

The positive cases include a 45-year-old woman from Amned and her son from Bhoranj, while three others are from Hamirpur subdivision — a 63-year-old from Dhgnera (Jhaniyara) village, 51-year-old from Sunwin Saloni village and 21-year-old from Balh. Two persons from Hatali village and three from Gwalpathar village also tested positive. All of them had returned from Mumbai

5 entered Baddi illegally

Solan: Five West Bengal returnees, who had entered the Baddi industrial area illegally in a truck on May 15, tested positive late last evening, taking the tally of positive cases to 14 in Solan district.

Medical Officer Dr NK Gupta said they were in institutional quarantine at Manpura and belonged to Nand and Bari village in Ramshehar tehsil. They were engaged as labourers in Bengal. They had started their journey on May 13, along with 28 others, and their samples were taken on May 19. As many as 54 contacts of the Covid patients have tested negative in their first test.

Kangra count 41

Dharamsala: Six more tested positive in Kangra, taking the total number of cases in the district to 41. The patients had returned on May 18 in a train and had been in institutional quarantine in Paror of Kangra. All of them were symptomatic.

Those who tested positive included 41-year-old woman of Adhwani village near Jwalamukhi, a 54-year driver of Saliali, Nurpur.

Curbs on entry likely

• Chief Minister said, if need be, there would be restricted entry in the state
• Most of the patients had returned from Mumbai
• Patients in Baddi had come from West Bengal
• The state witnessed a sudden surge in the cases ever since special trains brought back its residents

Source : The Tribune

Fifteen more persons tested positive for Covid-19, taking the total tally in Himachal Pradesh to 125. Five persons each from Solan, Kangra and Hamirpur districts have tested positive.

Five persons, who returned from West Bengal, tested positive in Baddi late on Wednesday night, taking the tally of total Covid-19 positive cases in Solan district to 14. These are the first cases to be detected since April 10.

Of the new cases, three persons hail from Nand village, while two are from Bari village in Ramshehar Tehsil of Nalagarh.

All five had returned in a truck without permission and were under institutional quarantine since May 17. There were 59 people in the quarantine centre at the Government Senior Secondary School, Manpura, and the latest coronavirus positive results have created panic in the health staff.

The five persons had begun their journey from West Bengal on May 13 and had arrived here four days later without a pass. All five are men who were working as labourers in West Bengal.

They have been shifted to the Covid-19 care hospital at ESIC, Katha, in Barotiwala. Their samples had been sent for testing on May 19. They are in the age group of 25 to 45 years.

All the nine cases detected in Baddi earlier have been cured.

Meanwhile, two politicians of the BJP distributed fruit at this centre on Wednesday, which was an alarming revealation as it could trigger community spread.

Had returned to Kangra from Mumbai

Dharamsala: Five more persons tested positive for coronavirus in Kangra district late on Wednesday night. All those who tested positive had come back from Mumbai and were under institutional quarantine.

The persons who tested positive are — a 41-year-old woman of village Adhwani near Jawalamukhi, a 54-year-old man of village Saliali in Nurpur, a 24-year-old man from Nagrota Bagwan town, a 57-year-old man from village Kathla in Jaisinghpur Tehsil and a 36-year-old man from Bhawarna.

All five have been shifted to the Covid-19 containment centre at Baijnath. The total number of coronavirus positive cases in Kangra district has gone up to 40.

Five test positive in Hamirpur

Hamirpur: Five more persons, including a woman, tested positive on Thursday, taking the tally of total Covid patients in Hamirpur district to 20.

Of the new cases, four had returned from Mumbai, while one is a primary contact of a coronavirus positive person. All five patients have been shifted to a Covid treatment hospital at Bhota.

Source : The Tribune

The number of coronavirus positive cases in Himachal Pradesh crossed 100 as 12 persons tested positive on Wednesday.

While 11 persons tested positive in Kangra district, one new case was registered in Kullu, taking the total tally to 104.

In Kangra, all the 11 persons had returned from Mumbai on May 18. They were being kept in institutional quarantine. After five persons tested positive in the morning, six new cases were registered later in the day. This is the biggest single day rise in cases in the district.

Of the five persons who tested positive in the morning, three are of a family — mother, son and daughter-in-law — from Jheol village, one is a woman from Lambagaon and one is a 31-year-old man from Jawalamukhi.

Of the six cases detected later, three are of a family — husband, wife and child — from Sari Malog village. A 55-year-old man of village Chanjehari in Bhawarna area, a 21-year-old man from village Kohli in Baijnath area and an eight-year-old girl from Lambagaon village have also tested positive.

All 11 patients were moved to the coronavirus containment centre in Baijnath on Wednesday.

This has taken the total number of coronavirus positive cases in Kangra district to 32, with 25 active cases. There has been one death.

Meanwhile, a 23-year-old man of Ani area in Kullu district was found Covid-19 positive at the medical college in Mandi.

The man had arrived in Kullu district on May 18 from Mumbai along with nine other persons.

According to the health department in Kullu district, the youth did not come in contact with any person and was under institutional quarantine.

According to the chief medical officer of Kullu, Sushil Chander, all 10 persons were kept at a Covid-19 centre in Kullu. The man had fever for the last few days but was doing well currently. The other nine samples are negative.

Source : The Tribune

Hospitality industry of Kullu-Manali has been shut since March 22 because of Covid-19 threat, which has rendered over two lakh people jobless in the district.

The livelihoods had been affected severely as majority people in Kullu were associated with hospitality industry. They were demanding bailout package from state and central governments for the revival of tourism industry.

The worst affected are those associated with adventure sports activities like river rafting, paragliding, river crossing, mountain hiking besides the tour operators.

Taxi operators, dhaba and restaurant owners, hoteliers, photographers — and village women who used to earn their livelihood by dressing up tourists with local dresses, had been affected badly because of the closure of tourism industry.

With the advent of April every year tourist influx would increase manifold in Kullu-Manali, providing self-employment opportunities for the residents of district. But this time they all are in utter despair because of current crisis.

In Kullu district, more than 320 agencies were registered for paragliding service, while around 400 pilots were providing their service to entertain tourists.

The highest number of cases was reported in Hamirpur, where five persons, who returned home from Mumbai, have tested positive.

Three new cases were reported in Bilaspur which include the wife (36) and son of a positive patient from Hamirpur who had returned from Ahmedabad. The third case in Bilaspur is that of a man from Punjab who returned from Delhi.

The mother of the two-year-old child from Chamba, who was infected by her father, a driver, has also got infected. The wife and five-year-old son of a positive case in Bilaspur also tested positive.

Five persons were tested positive for corona virus in the district today taking the tally of total Covid-19 patients to 15 here in the district. All persons tested positive had come from Mumbai. Three had come on May 14, one on May 12 and one on May 10.

They are one each from Khungal (Kashmir), Chowki Rajputan (Buni) and Gwararu villages and two from Majhog Sultani village. The samples of all these patients were taken on May 16 after health problem.

All five patients have been shifted to Covid-19 dedicated hospital in Bhota.

Source : The Tribune

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur today said the curfew in Himachal would continue till May 31 in the fourth phase of the lockdown, began today.

In his video address to the people, he said the number of cases had risen and, therefore, the situation was not appropriate to lift the curfew. “It was expected that the number of cases will rise as Himachalis were returning to their native places from red zones across the country”, he said.

The cases had gone up to 80 and this figure could increase further.

Thakur urged residents not to panic as the situation in Himachal was far better than many other states. “My humble request to those returning home is to strictly adhere to home quarantine, while maintaining distance from family members also,” he said.

The safety of 70 lakh people of the state would be ensured only by responsible behaviour of those returning home from other states.

While lauding the service rendered by corona warriors, he wished speedy recovery of the doctors at Tanda medical college and a constable who had got infected while serving corona patients.