Himachal’s Covid-19 tally rises to 5,637; 3,000 cases reported in August alone

With 136 more Covid-19 cases reported in Himachal on Friday, the state’s tally has reached 5,637. Of the total positive cases more than 3,000 were reported in August alone, increasing the number of infections in the state by 95%.

Thirty-five cases were reported in Sirmaur, 30 in Kangra, 19 in Solan, 15 in Una, 16 in Chamba, 12 in Shimla, three in Bilaspur, two each in Hamirpur and Kinnaur and one each in Mandi and Kullu. Two bank employees and one health worker posted at the regional hospital tested positive in Una. One of teh patients had returned from abroad while three tested positive at the flu outpatient department

Of the four people who tested positive in Kangra, two have a travel history to Chandigarh and Nalagarh. The one case detected in Ram Nagar locality of Dharamshala town is the primary contact of a Covid patient.

In Shimla seven bank officials were among 12 tested positive in Shimla. A woman admitted at Kamla Nehru hospital was also detected positive and 20 staff including doctors and nurses who came in her contact have been quarantined.

Ten workers of a power project were among 16 people tested positive in Chamba. The district’s tally has reached 400.

There are 1,413 active cases in the state and 4,149 people have recovered. Thirty-one people have succumbed to the contagion.

Covid-19 cases have increased by a whopping 95% in the month of August compared to the combined caseload in March to July.

The state had recorded its first case on March 20. Till April 24, the tally was 40. A second wave in May took the count to 330. A total of 623 cases were added to the tally in June, while in July the number swelled by 1,611, taking the virus count to 2,564.

So far, 3,073 cases have been recorded in the state in August. As many as 2, 08,419 people have been tested for the virus in Himachal - 28,261 tests per million population. The recovery rate is 72.9% while the state has 753 confirmed cases per million.

Fatalities also witnessed a steep rise in the rainy season. Till July, Himachal had recorded only 12 deaths. However, 19 people have died, so far, in August. The death count has reached 31.

Solan has the most infections (1,382), followed by Sirmaur (789), Kangra (783), Hamirpur (493), Una (431), Chamba (400), Mandi (395), Shimla (308), Bilaspur (296), Kullu (271), Kinnaur (81) and Lahaul and Spiti (eight).