Four Army jawans among 55 new coronavirus cases in HP, tally up to 2,232

Himachal Pradesh reported 55 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, including four Army jawans and two CAPF personnel, taking the state's tally to 2,232, officials said.

Thirty-one of the fresh cases were reported from Sirmaur, 12 from Kangra, 8 from Mandi, three from Chamba and one from Hamirpur, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

In Kangra, four Army soldiers, their three contacts, two central armed police forces (CAPF) personnel and a woman who recently returned from Punjab's Radha Soami Satsang Beas are among the fresh cases, Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said.

In Hamirpur, after former Nadaun MLA and HRTC vice-chairman Vijay Agnihotry tested COVID-19 positive on Sunday, Hamirpur MLA Narinder Thakur went into home quarantine on Monday.

Stating this today on his Facebook post, the Hamirpur MLA appealed to the people to contact him only through phone and wash their hands with soap and water to remain away from novel coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the district officials stated that Agnihotry's sample was taken on July 24 and he was found positive on July 26.

The district Congress leaders criticised Agnihotry for attending many functions and meeting a large number of people at many places even after his sample was taken.

Meanwhile, Agnihotry has been shifted to a dedicated COVID care centre in NIT-Hamirpur.

An official spokesman stated that the samples of Agnihotry's primary and secondary contacts are being taken in Nadaun, Galore and Hamirpur.

Meanwhile, a 75-year-old home quarantined man tested positive on Monday, Hamirpur CMO Dr Archna Soni said.

COVID-19 has so far claimed 13 lives in the state, while 1,207 people have recovered and 15 migrated out of the state.

In the last 24 hours, nine patients -- four in Una, three in Mandi and two in Chamba -- recovered from the infection, Dhiman said.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 995.

Solan has the highest number of active cases in the state at 366, followed by 210 in Sirmaur, 106 in Kangra, 85 in Shimla, 75 in Mandi, 53 in Una, 25 in Chamba, 22 in Bilaspur, 21 in Hamirpur, 17 in Kinnaur and 15 in Kullu. 

Image Credits: PTI