Three Army jawans among 18 new COVID-19 cases in HP; tally rises to 2,289

Shimla, July 28

Himachal Pradesh recorded 18 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, including three Army jawans, taking the state’s tally to 2,289, officials said here.

The number of active cases in the state stands at 1,033, they said.

Among the fresh cases, seven were reported from Chamba, three from Bilaspur, and two each from Mandi and Shimla, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

In Chamba, two Army soldiers, aged 20 and 21, who recently returned from Leh-Ladakh, are among the fresh cases, a district official said, adding that they were home-quarantined.

Five other institutionally quarantined men, three of whom returned from Mumbai and one each from Gurgaon and Bengaluru, also tested positive for the disease, he added.

In Mandi, a 40-year-old Army jawan of Shala village and a 49-year-old woman of Balh admitted to Nerchowk hospital tested positive, a district official said.

In Shimla, a 62-year-old woman, who recently returned from Delhi, and her 32-year-old daughter of the posh Jakhu area tested positive, CMO Surekha Chopra said, adding that they were home-quarantined.         In Kangra, a three-year-old girl of Dhinnu village is among the four fresh cases, Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said adding that she is a contact of a COVID-19 patient.

The virus has so far claimed 13 lives in the state, while 1,226 people have recovered and 15 migrated out of the state.

Eight patients—six in Shimla and two in Kullu—recovered from the infection, Dhiman said.

Solan has the highest number of active cases in the state at 380, followed by 210 in Sirmaur, 112 in Kangra, 84 in Shimla, 79 in Mandi, 55 in Una, 36 in Bilaspur, 32 in Chamba, 21 in Hamirpur, 17 in Kinnaur and seven in Kullu, he said. PTI