Sharpest spike, 38 new cases in Himachal

Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 15

With the highest spike of 38 Covid cases in one day, the number of coronavirus cases in the state today shot up to 556.

The highest number of 19 cases were reported from Solan district followed by nine from Una, three each from Chamba, Kangra and Hamirpur and one from Shimla district.

In Una, the patients include four members of a family of a 55-year-old ex-serviceman from Bhout village in Bangana. The ex-serviceman had returned from Mumbai.

He was sent to home quarantine and on June 8, his Covid swab sample was found positive. The family members are the 90-year-old mother of the ex-serviceman, his wife and two daughters.

The only member of the family, who tested negative for the infection, was the couple’s son.

When the health officials visited his home today, they found his nonagenarian mother in poor health. Therefore, instead of taking the four family members to the Covid Care Centre, they decided to designate a part of their house as a home isolation centre, while the boy, who tested negative, was quarantined in a separate room of the house.

Block Medical Officer NK Angra said police and health officials were tracing their contacts.

A 43-year-old man from Basdehra village, a 55-year-old woman from Bhaira village and 17-year-old boy from Marwari village also tested positive for Covid in Una last night.

6 of family infected

Solan district registered the highest single day spike as 19 persons, including three children, tested Covid positive at Nalagarh today. The tally of the cases climbs to 59 in Solan district.

Medical Officer Dr NK Gupta said among the 19 cases, five were the close contacts of an ex-pradhan of Gullerwala panchayat in Baddi. The ex-pradhan had tested positive on June 11. The local administration had identified 75 people as his primary contacts.

His contact tracing had also led to sealing of the offices of the SP and the SDM as well as a police station at Nalagarh. He had returned from Mumbai on April 25.

Other patients include a family of six, who was staying at Amaravati Apartment at Baddi. They had come from Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh on June 8. They include 80-year old man, a couple and their two minor children and another 27-year old woman.

A 42-year-old security guard of a quarantine centre, who was working at a pharmaceutical unit at Baddi but had been deputed by the police outside the centre, also figures on the list. A 46-year woman, who was working at a spinning mill at Baddi, has also tested positive.

Besides, a 45-year-old woman, who delivered a baby on June 13 and was staying near Vardhman Chowk, Baddi, also tested positive. A 24-year-old woman from Baddi was also found infected.

Three members of another family, who were staying at Billanwali village, have also tested positive. They had come from Madhubani in Bihar on June 4 and were in home quarantine.

There were 29 active cases in Solan district.

The patients have been shifted to ESIC Covid Hospital at Katha in Barotiwala.