What hit HP in fight against Covid-19
In less than two weeks, the state recorded 34 cases, taking the total positive cases in Himachal to 74, including two deaths.
SHIMLA/DHARAMSHALA At the beginning of May, Himachal Pradesh was inching closer towards becoming a coronavirus-free state with only one active case.
The state seemed to have ticked all the right boxes and contained the spread of Covid-19. May 5 was the cut-off date as the state had not recorded a fresh case since April 23. The government was ready to make an announcement to this effect.
However, a day before May5, the hill-state recorded a fresh case in Joginderngar of Mandi district. Next day, a youth from Sarkaghat died of the contagion. In less than two weeks, the state recorded 30 cases. The total positive cases in HP soared to 74, including two deaths. So, what went wrong ?
MISTAKE OF OPENING THE BORDERS
The biggest mistake that the Himachal authorities committed was to open the borders of the state on April 26 to facilitate the return of those stranded in the other states.
Thousands of people thronged the state-borders, chocking the inter-state barriers and throwing social distancing norms to the wind.
The arrangements made by the bordering districts to screen the returnees were not enough and many entered unchecked.
More than 50,000 people entered the state in less than a week, prompting the authorities to close its borders again.
Things got spiral out of control as the government committed another mistake by sending the returnees direct to their homes, instead of placing them under institutional quarantine.
So, why the government was forced to open the borders?
The people, who were abiding by the government’s request of ‘stay put where you are’ started raising questions when two MP’s were allowed to quietly enter the state.
Further, the government’s April 23 decision of bringing back stranded students from Kota, Rajasthan, added fuel to the fire, as others began to ask, “Why only they, what about us?”
THE BIG SPIKE
Since May 4, the state has recorded 30 cases, including one fatality. Seventy per cent of the cases had travel history to other states, mostly Delhi-NCR and rest were their contacts.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur admitted that the number of cases have gone up after the people started returning to the state. “Over one lakh people have already entered the state and 55,000 more have applied for e-passes,” he had said in a press meeting two-day ago. He, however, also said that the state government could not have left its people stranded in the other states to fend for themselves.
LACK OF RESOURCES
The state is still struggling to get rapid testing kits, while there is also a dearth of PPE kits and masks. Against its demand of 30,000 rapid testing kits from the Centre, Himachal only got 4,800 kits and these were too returned for being faulty. The state also lacks an adequate number of ventilators. Currently, there are only 60 ventilators in the health institutions across the state.
STRENGTHENING THE QUARANTINE
After much damage was done, chief minister announced to is make quarantine mechanism more stringent. Those returning from other states, especially red zones and those with influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms, are being quarantined in institutional facilities.Home quarantine has also been made stricter. Harsher penalties are being imposed for jumping quarantine.
“Each and every person entering the state has to undergo thorough medical examination, then only it should be decided whether the person has to be kept under institutional quarantine or home quarantine,” Jai Ram had directed the district officials through video conferencing two-days ago. The state is also considering to create paid quarantine facilities.
