Himachal police station sealed after three cops test positive for COVID-19

(Eds: Adds more info) Shimla, Jun 27 (PTI) A police station in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district has been sealed after three policemen posted there tested positive for novel coronavirus, a district official said. Three of them have been recovered, while the rest four are active cases. Meanwhile, in Bilaspur, five people, including a three-year-old child, tested positive for coronavirus, the district official said.

A police station in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district has been sealed after three policemen posted there tested positive for novel coronavirus, a district official said. The Bhawnagar police station has been sealed after the three policemen, which include two head constables aged 26 and 32 years and a 24-year-old constable, tested positive for coronavirus, he said.

The three were posted in the Bhawanagar police station. Two of them returned from their homes in Kangra on June 12 after taking leave for a few days. One of the three also recently remained on temporary duty at Chaura. The entire staff of the police station has also been quarantined to check the spread of the deadly virus, the district official said.

The areas between Lutuksa and Dat Sungra in Bhawanagar have been identified as a containment zone. Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner Gopal Chand has issued an order to declare Bhawanagar town as a containment zone to contain the infection.

The three cops have been shifted to the Reckong Peo COVID care center. Their contacts are being traced. After tracing their contacts, their samples will be sent for testing, the DC said. With this, the number of positive cases in tribal Kinnaur district has risen to seven. Three of them have been recovered, while the rest four are active cases.

Meanwhile, in Bilaspur, five people, including a three-year-old child, tested positive for coronavirus, the district official said. All of them recently returned from Delhi-NCR, he added.

With this, the total number of positive cases in Bilaspur has risen to 43. Twenty-six have been cured, while 17 are active cases. The number of positive cases in Himachal Pradesh now stands at 873. So far, 494 people have recovered, while 11 COVID-19 patients have migrated out of the state, he said.

Himachal Pradesh has reported eight deaths due to the virus so far. A total of 358 are active cases.

Hamirpur has the maximum number of active COVID-19 cases in the state at 109, followed by 108 in Kangra, 45 in Solan, 28 in Una, 19 in Shimla, 17 in Bilaspur, 13 in Sirmaur, 12 in Chamba, four in Kinnaur, two in Mandi, and one in Kullu.