Army jawan, 17 others test COVID-19 positive in HP, tally now at 1,102

(Eds: Updating figures)

Shimla, Jul 8 () Eighteen more people, including an army personnel and a four-year-old girl, tested positive for COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, pushing the state's tally to 1,102.

The state has seen 10 deaths linked to the novel coronavirus.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 257. As many as 820 people have recovered from the infection so far, while 13 have migrated out of the state, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

Seven fresh cases were reported from Kangra, six from Solan, two from Una and one each from Sirmaur, Hamirpur and Mandi districts, he added.

In Kangra, an army personnel and a four-year-old girl were among the fresh COVID-19 cases, Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said.

The DC said the 28-year-old army jawan from Pathiar village in Palampur tehsil had returned from Delhi on June 30. He is being shifted to military hospital in Yol, he added.

Besides, the Mumbai returned four-year-old girl from Sera Thana village also tested positive. She is a primary contact of her 33-year-old mother who had tested for COVID-19, he added.

A 32-year-old man who returned from Delhi and his 28-year-old brother-in-law from Palakh village, a 45-year-old Panipat returned man from Dhan village and a 34-year-old Chandigarh returned woman from Maranda village also tested positive, he added.

A 43-year-old man from Panalth village in Jawali, who is a contact of a COVID-19 patient, also tested positive, he added.

All the six patients are being shifted to dedicated COVID care centre at Dadh, he added.

In Hamirpur, a 46-year-old man from Jajri village in Badsar tehsil has tested positive for the infection, Deputy Commissioner Hairkesh Meena said.

He had arrived from Mumbai on July 1 and was institutionally quarantined, the DC said.

In Mandi, a 23-year-old asymptomatic man from Saigalu in Chaloh tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a district official said, adding he had returned from Delhi on June 24 and was home quarantined.

Forty-three more patients -- fourteen from Solan, eight from Hamirpur, six from Kangra, four each from Kinnaur and Una, three each from Sirmaur and Bilaspur and one from Solan-- recovered from the infection, Dhiman said.

Kangra has the most number of active cases in the state at 67, followed by 54 in Hamirpur, 31 in Solan, 28 in Una, 27 in Kinnaur, 11 in Bilaspur, 10 in Chamba, 9 each in Shimla and Mandi, five in Sirmaur, four in Lahaul-Spiti and two in Kullu. DJI COR CK