No new COVID-19 case in Himachal Pradesh, 2 active cases

No new coronavirus case was reported in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday and there are only two active cases in the state at present, a health department official said.

The two active cases in the state are from Sirmaur and Mandi districts and they are being treated at Katha's ESIC in Baddi and Nerchowk's SLBSGMC in Mandi respectively,

"Of the 472 samples sent for testing on Tuesday, 158 tested negative for the infection whereas the report of the rest is awaited," Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

These tests are being conducted at five laboratories in the state.

They are Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla, Tanda's Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC), Palampur's Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) in Kangra, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College (SLBSGMC) Nerchowk in Mandi and Kasauli's Central Research Institute (CRI) in Solan.

 

A total of 42 coronavirus cases have been reported in the state.

A 30-year-old man who returned from Delhi on April 29 tested positive for coronavirus in Mandi district on Monday.

Mandi Chief Medical Officer Dr Jeevanand Chauhan said the man had been living in a locality near Akshardham temple in Delhi and was working in Noida.

He returned to his native Makreri village in Jogindernagar subdivision last week.

He was already in home quarantine. He showed symptoms of COVID-19 and his samples were taken for testing. He was shifted to Nerchowk's SLBSGMC after he tested positive, he said.

Thirty-four patients, including 16 from Una district, six from Chamba, five from Solan, four from Kangra, two from Hamirpur and one from Sirmaur district, have recovered so far.

Ten out of total 12 districts of the state are coronavirus-free now. These include Kangra, Una, Chamba, Hamirpur, Solan, Shimla, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Bilaspur and Kullu.

Four patients were taken to a hospital outside the state.

Two people have died of COVID-19 in the state. The fatalities include a 70-year-old Delhi resident who had stayed at a guest house of a factory in Solan's Baddi and died at the PGIMER, Chandigarh, on April 2.