With 16 fresh cases, Himachal crosses 500-mark in 86 days

DHARAMSHALA:: Sixteen more people tested positive for Covid-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 502, officials said.

The state has crossed the 500mark in 86 days. The first case in Himachal was reported on March 20.Ten cases were reported from Kangra, four from Shimla and one each in Solan and Sirmaur. have also contracted the disease.

All three were in institutional quarantine at Radha Soami Satsang Beas’ Parour complex near Palampur.

The seventh patient is 11-yearold student from Baijnath who was under home quarantine. All of them were asymptomatic and are being shifted to Dedicated Covid-care Centres (DCCC) at Dadh and Baijnath.

Three more people who returned from Delhi, including a 42-year-old man from Jawali, 30-year-old old from Dehra and a 36-year-old from Tharu in Jawali have also tested positive.

Four cases were also reported from Shimla and one each from Solan and Sirmaur late evening.

So far, Himachal has recorded 502 cases, of which 309 have recovered while six, including three men and three women, have succumbed to the disease. Eleven patients have migrated to other states.

Active cases in the state are 176 as sixteen patients recovered today, said special secretary (health) Nipun Jindal. Kangra has exceeded Hamirpur in terms of the most cases with district’s tally rising to 138. Hamirpur has 131 cases. Sixty-one cases have been reported in Una, 39 in Solan, 35 in Chamba, 27 in Sirmaur, 24 in Bilaspur, 22 in Mandi.