HP's COVID-19 tally reaches 840; death toll rises to 8

(Eds: Updating figure) Shimla, Jun 25 (PTI) A 57-year-old man died due to COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, taking the toll due to the disease in the state to eight, while 33 fresh cases pushed its tally to 840, officials said.

(Eds: Updating figure) Shimla, Jun 25 (PTI) A 57-year-old man died due to COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, taking the toll due to the disease in the state to eight, while 33 fresh cases pushed its tally to 840, officials said. The resident of Bhawarna village in Kangra succumbed to the virus at the Nerchowk Medical College in Mandi district, Kangra Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said.

He had diabetes and was also suffering from chronic renal disease, Prajapati said. The man was shifted to the hospital in Mandi from Kangra district for dialysis on June 23, where he died during treatment, the deputy commissioner said.

He had come back to Kangra district from Delhi on June 20 and was institutionally quarantined at Parour. Later, he was shifted to a dedicated COVID health centre at Dharamshala as he showed symptoms for the disease on June 22. Subsequently, he tested positive a day later, the official added. The total number of deaths due to the novel coronavirus in the state has now reached eight.

The deceased include a 70-year-old woman from Delhi, who had been staying at a factory's guest house in Baddi in Solan district since March 15. She had tested positive for coronavirus in PGIMER Chandigarh on April 2 and died there. The Himachal Pradesh Health Department initially mentioned the woman's death in its record but later stopped including her as per protocols.

On Thursday, Kangra reported 17 fresh cases, followed by Solan seven, Hamirpur four, Shimla and Sirmaur two each and Kinnaur one. With this, the number of COVID-19 cases in the state has risen to 840.

Eight patients -- three in Bilaspur, two in Chamba, one each in Solan, Kangra and Una -- recovered from the infection on Thursday, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said. So far, 474 people have recovered, while 11 COVID-19 patients have migrated out of the state, he said.

The state now has 345 active cases. Hamirpur has the maximum number of active COVID-19 cases in the state at 110, followed by 103 in Kangra, 45 in Solan, 28 in Una, 20 in Shimla, 12 each in Bilaspur, Chamba and Sirmaur, and one each in Kinnaur, Mandi and Kullu. PTI DJI DPB DPB