Himachal’s corona positive tally crosses 1,000-mark in 105 days
23 ITBP personnel deployed in Kinnaur along the India-China border test positive for virus
DHARAMSHALA : With 32 people, including 23 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawans, testing Covid-19 positive, the total number of cases crossed 1000-mark on Thursday.
The Covid-19 count has climbed to 1,011 in the state.
As many as 28 ITBP personnel have been tested Covid-19 positive in Kinnaur in two days.
Seventeen jawans were tested positive at Jangi base of the ITBP in Kinnaur district and six at Juri base in Rampur Bushahar of Shimla district.
The jawans are of 43rd battalion of ITBP which is deployed in Kinnaur district along the IndoChina border.
Some ITBP units moved to Kinnaur from Jammu last month after the violent clash between the Indian Army and Peoples’ Liberation Army which claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers.
A batch of 59 jawans started off from Jammu on June 21. They took a night halt at Ramgarh base in Panchkula and resumed their journey the next day and reached Jangi base on June 23 and were placed under institutional quarantine at the base.
Their samples were sent for testing on Wednesday after five jawans from Reckong Peo base tested positive for the virus.
Kinnaur chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Sonam Negi said that the jawans have been shifted to a Covid-care facility.
The source of infection is being traced. Meanwhile, six jawans currently at Juri base of ITBP have also tested positive. They too came from Jammu.
They were also placed under institutional quarantine. The Jangi and Juri ITBP bases have been sealed. Apart from it, an army jawan was tested positive in Sirmaur. He returned from Delhi and was home quarantined.
A 22-year-old youth from Jharkhand was tested positive in Lahaul-Spiti district. He works in a private company at Keylong, the administrative headquarters of the tribal district. A Dubai returned man has tested positive in Jogindernagar of Mandi district. Three cases were reported in Hamirpur, two in Kangra and one in Bilaspur.
RELENTLESS RISE IN CASES
Himachal breached the 1000mark on the 105th day of reporting its first case, which was detected on March 20. The 900mark was reached on June 28. It took four days for the count to climb to 1000.
As many as 623 cases were recorded in June alone. From March 20 to May 31 there were only 330 cases.
58 CASES IN TWO DAYS
This month 58 cases have been reported in just two days.
Since the Covid-19 outbreak, Himachal has recorded 1,011 cases. Active cases have down to 359 and 629 persons have been cured.
Thirteen people have migrated to other states and eight have succumbed to the virus.
Kangra is the worst-hit district with 280 cases followed by Hamirpur with 253 cases.
Una and Solan have recorded 110 cases each, Chamba 52, Shimla and Bilaspur 47 each, Sirmaur 40, Mandi 33, Kinnaur 30, Kullu 5 and Lahaul-Spiti district.
SAMPLES WERE SENT FOR TESTING AFTER 5 PERSONNEL FROM RECKONG PEO BASE TESTED POSITIVE