One more person tested positive for Covid-19 in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases to 44 in the state.
The patient is a resident of Jamanabad in Kangra district, Superintendent of Police Vimukt Ranjan said. Meanwhile, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said the man was quarantined at Panchayati Raj Training Institute (PRTI) in Baijnath after he had been tested positive at Tanda's Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC).
He returned from Dubai last month and subsequently came to his house in a taxi with three other persons on April 27. The taxi driver has also been identified. The DC said the quarantined man's 24 contacts were identified. They have been quarantined and their samples have also been taken for testing, Prajapati added.
Meanwhile, one more person who had been staying at Gagret in Una district tested positive in Jammu and Kashmir. A resident of Jammu, the man had returned to Jammu and Kashmir a few days ago and was tested positive at Lakhanpur, Una Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said.
The DC said the district administration received information from Lakhanpur that the man had been tested positive for coronavirus. His contacts in Una district have been quarantined, he added.
Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said, "Of the 600 samples sent for testing on Wednesday, 212 tested negative whereas the one from Kangra tested positive for the infection while reports of the rest are awaited." Of the total 44 patients in the state, 34 have recovered and three died.
Four people were shifted to other states for treatment. Himachal Pradesh now has three active cases, one each in Sirmaur, Kangra and Mandi districts. Una has the highest number of recovered patients at 16, followed by Chamba with six, Solan with five, Kangra with four, Hamirpur with two and Sirmaur with one, the officials said.
Rs 50 LAKH EX-GRATIA TO BUS STAFF DRIVERS ENGAGED IN BRINGING BACK STRANDED PEOPLE
Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday appreciated the work of drivers and conductors of HRTC in bringing back a large number of students of Himachal Pradesh stuck in Kota of Rajasthan, Delhi, Chandigarh Tri-city area and other parts of the country due to lockdown imposed in the wake of coronavirus.
Thakur said that the State Government was concerned about the safety and welfare of its employee engaged in fighting the Covid-19 and was providing them all necessary safety equipments such as masks, gloves etc. He said that now State Government had decided to provide Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia to the next of the kin in case of death of those drivers, conductors and other staff of HRTC engaged in bringing back the people of the State stranded in various parts of the country.
The chief minister thanked the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the help extended by him for sending back the 22 students of the state, studying in various institutes at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, who are expected to reach Himachal Pradesh by tomorrow.
HIMACHAL CM SEEKS OPENING OF MORE CANTEENS
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday urged the Union government to open army canteens in those areas where there are no facilities for the soldiers and ex-servicemen.
In a letter to Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Chief Minister said that the State has a large number of serving and veterans soldiers. The issue of establishing army canteens or its extension counters has been a long pending demand of these soldiers and veterans.
Thakur said that being a hilly state, Himachal has many areas having difficult terrains sans basic amenities for which the ex-servicemen have to travel over 60 km to avail canteen facilities. He said the ex-servicemen have been continuously approaching the state in this regard. Thakur said the state would provide the necessary infrastructure or gap funding in case necessary permission is granted to open the canteens.