Covid-19 Surge| Don’t Let Your Guard Down, Follow Social Distancing: Himachal CM To People

Amid the Centre directing state authorities to ramp up covid-19 testing, four districts of Himachal Pradesh, which border Punjab, have witnessed a sudden coronavirus upsurge.

The state reported six covid-19 fatalities on Tuesday, three of which were reported in Una district, which has been categorised as a red zone.

Meanwhile, fear of new strains infecting the local populace has prompted authorities to send 56 samples, obtained from those with a recent travel history to Punjab, to testing labs in Delhi.

The state’s active caseload which stood at 219 on February 23, rose to 2,830 on March 30, while the death toll stood at 1,030 today.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur took stock of the situation and held a meeting with top health officials in Dharamshala on Tuesday.

Issuing a warning, he urged everyone to not become complacent and follow covid-19 norms. “Health officials have observed that those who are infected with the new strains of the virus are mostly asymptomatic. They do not suffer from fever, cough or cold. A few of them complain of joint pain and loss of appetite…So, it is better for all of us to exercise caution and not let our guard down,” the CM said. Thakur also urged health officials to encourage people to take the vaccine.

At the moment, Una has the highest number of infections closely followed by Kangra. On Tuesday Una reported 70 new covid-19 cases.

Officials believe that the rising number of infections in the state are the result of people’s callous attitude.

“A large number of fairs, religious gatherings and public events have been held in the state since January. People have not been wearing masks or following covid-19 protocols and this has directly resulted in the spike,” said Dr Rajiv Sehzal, state health minister.

However, many ministers and politicians have been flouting covid-19 norms, as well. In Mandi, the chief minister's home district, state irrigation and public health (IPH) minister Mahendra Singh was spotted campaigning for the municipal polls without wearing a mask.