With 46 new cases, Himachal tally jumps to 156

Tribune Reporters

Shimla, May 21

The highest single-day spike of 46 cases, taking the tally of corona patients to 156, led to panic in the state today. 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

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.