Baru Sahib: Covid cases at Akal Academy rise to 76

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, March 9

Baru Sahib-based Akal Academy and two buildings in its precincts at Lana Bhalta village in Sirmaur district have been declared containment zones after 76 nursing students tested positive this week. As many as 32 females in the age group of 17 to 23 tested positive today.

Deputy Commissioner (DC), Sirmaur, Dr RK Pruthi, said the ACN hostel, isolation ward in Akal Charitable Hospital as well as the hospital and two adjoining buildings in Lana Bhalta village were declared containment zones today.

“Violations in social distancing norms have been observed in the institute and those who had come with RAT-negative test reports tested positive here in RT-PCR. All students are being tested to ensure that the infection is contained,” informed the DC.

The adjoining labour colony and two more adjoining buildings have been declared buffer zones in a bid to contain the further spread of the virus in Baru Sahib. These zones would be cordoned off and no person residing in these areas would be permitted to assemble or congregate and would have to remain indoors expect for emergencies.

The administration has also banned the organisation of all functions, meetings, workshops, community events etc. All shops, expect chemist shops and those providing essential services, have been permitted to operate with door-to-door provision of essential commodities being made available.

Regular sanitisation will be undertaken and the Chief Medical Officer will station health teams to monitor the health of the people in the said area.

Violations will be dealt with legally and the Disaster Management Act has also been invoked.

The sudden surge in Covid cases has once again rung alarm bells among the authorities and they were once again in a state of high alert. There were 86 active cases in the district till last evening which was the second highest in the state after Kangra district.