Corona virus: 20 Kangra residents under scanner

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, February 5

As many as 20 residents of Kangra district, including some foreign tourists, are under scanner of health department due to corona virus scare.

Sources here said the Government of India has forwarded a list of 20 people, who had a travel history of visiting China, to the health authorities in Kangra. The health authorities have been asked to keep a tab on these people.

CMO Kangra GD Gupta admitted that they had received a list of 20 people from the Government of India. He, however, said that there was nothing to panic.

“We are trying to contact the people whose names have been forwarded to us. Their family members have been asked to keep a close watch on the health of the people who have recently visited China and report to them in case they suspect any symptom of corona virus”, he said.

When asked, the CMO also said that an isolation ward had been kept ready in Tanda Medical College in case some case of the virus was detected.

Dharamsala area, especially McLeodganj, is being considered sensitive for corona virus infection as many people from China and other Asian countries visit the place due to presence of Dalai Lama.

A scare was also being witnessed in McLeodganj with regard to infection from carona virus. People and tourists in McLeodganj can be seen wearing masks in the streets.

The Dalai Lama office has also restricted the meeting of Tibetan spiritual guru with visiting tourists. The Dalai Lama used to meet the visiting tourists and dignitaries at his official residence in McLeodganj as per prefixed appointments. However, after the corona virus scare his meetings have been cancelled. The office of the Dalai Lama has been maintaining that he was in meditation retreat.

All the tourists coming to Dharamsala have also been asked to give their travel history to the authorities so that people coming from China could be screened.

The hotel association of Upper Dharamsala has issued an advisory to the tourists coming from China against coming to the region. Hoteliers of Dharamsala are fearing that corona virus might hit forthcoming tourism season.

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