Covid curbs: No grand reception for Himachal CM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 10

There will be strict restrictions on officers and BJP workers gathering to welcome the Chief Minister with bouquets, flowers, shawls and caps.

• Also read: No entry curbs: Himachal CM
• Solan residential school closed after teachers found infected

“Though there are restrictions on big crowds, it seems to be a habit with government officers to come with bouquets and flowers, leading to overcrowding and wasteful expenditure,” said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur here today. It was decided in the Cabinet meeting yesterday to issue directions that only two or three officers should come to welcome the Chief Minister while others should remain seated at functions or come when summoned, he added.

Una, Kangra and Solan are the worst-hit districts in the state; they share borders with Punjab and Haryana. “We will ask the district administrations and the police to keep a strict vigil to ensure that there are no big gatherings in these border districts, whether of locals or residents of adjoining states,” he added.

Thakur said that while it took almost four months for the active Covid cases figure to touch 4,000 last year, we are surpassing this figure in less than a month this time. He also expressed concern over the high fatality figure and the fact that Covid is attacking the younger age people. At present, Himachal has over 4,675 cases and has registered 1,090 deaths, though on February 20 the fatality count was merely 218. The total positive cases in the state since the outbreak of Covid stands at 68,173 while 62,298 patients have recovered so far.

The government has been criticised for allowing crowds at its official and BJP functions while restrictions have been imposed on social gatherings such as weddings, funerals and even religious congregations. People are criticising political parties, particularly the BJP and the Congress, for openly flouting Covid restrictions in the name of campaigning for the recent municipal corporation elections.

The Health Department authorities are keeping their fingers crossed, as there is still a high risk of the transmission of Covid in Dharamsala, Solan, Mandi and Palampur towns.

941 fresh cases, 12 deaths in state

• 941 fresh cases were reported on Saturday, taking the tally to 69,114
• Besides, 12 persons died of the virus in the past 24 hours.
• Four deaths were reported in Kangra, three each in Shimla and Una and one each in Kullu and Hamirpur.
• The highest number of 195 cases was reported in Solan, followed by 144 each in Kangra and Mandi, 97 each in Shimla and Hamirpur, 85 in Una, 82 in Bilaspur, 59 in Sirmaur, 31 in Kullu, nine in Chamba, 7 in Lahaul-Spiti and 3 in Kinnaur