One more tests positive for COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh, total cases climb to 41

Himachal Pradesh recorded a fresh case of COVID-19 on Thursday after a five-day hiatus, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 41, officials said. The patient is a resident of Sirmaur district. He had attended a religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area last month, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

According to officials, the man had returned to Himachal Pradesh a few weeks ago. At that time, he was put in a quarantine centre and had tested negative for the virus. But, of the 349 samples collected for testing on Wednesday, the man's report came out positive. He has been admitted to ESI hospital in Baddi, officials said.

The rest of the samples tested negative, they said. With this, the total number of active COVID-19 cases in the state stand at 17, while 18 people have been cured of the disease. Two patients have died and four shifted to a private hospital outside the state.

The fatalities include a 70-year-old Delhi resident who had stayed at a factory's guest house in Solan's Baddi and died at Chandigarh's PGIMER on April 2. A total of 306 samples are being tested in the state on Thursday, the ACS (Health) said, adding 269 tested have negative and reports of the rest are awaited.