One death, 33 fresh virus cases in Himachal; total count 1,665

The coronavirus death toll in Himachal Pradesh increased to 11 after a 75-year-old woman died in Mandi on Tuesday as 33 fresh cases surfaced, taking the state's infection tally to 1,665. Solan district continues to have the highest 381 cases in the state after 159 migrant industrial workers recently tested positive there, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

The coronavirus death toll in Himachal Pradesh increased to 11 after a 75-year-old woman died in Mandi on Tuesday as 33 fresh cases surfaced, taking the state's infection tally to 1,665. Solan district continues to have the highest 381 cases in the state after 159 migrant industrial workers recently tested positive there, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said. The fresh death was reported from Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College and Hospital in Mandi. According to Senior Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Jeeva Nand Chauhan, the woman who belonged to Sarkaghat tehsil's Dagoh village died around 3.30 am.

She was suffering from renal failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome, he said, adding that she was admitted to the hospital on July 16. With this, the number of COVID-19 deaths in the state has risen to 11. The deaths include that of a 70-year-old Delhi woman who had been staying at a factory's guest house at Baddi in Solan district. She tested positive and died at the PGIMER in Chandigarh on April 2. Initially, the state health department showed her death in its record but later it stopped doing so stating that as per protocol, her death should be included in Chandigarh where she had tested positive. On the contrary, the Chandigarh authorities said her death should be included in the record of Himachal Pradesh from where she had been referred. Meanwhile, 33 more people -- 13 in Sirmaur; seven each in Solan and Kangra; three in Shimla; two in Hamirpur; and one in Kullu-- tested positive for the infection on Tuesday, Dhiman said. In Kangra, an Army Jawan who had recently returned from Nagaland was found infected with the infection. Three men who came back from Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand also tested positive, SP Vimukt Ranjan said.

Besides, three members of a family-- a 38-year-old man, his wife and their 8-year-old son— contracted the infection, he said. They belong to Bassa Gudhiyala in Palakh tehsil. In Kullu, 22-year-old woman, who had returned from Kyrgyzstan tested positive, SP Gaurav Singh said, adding that she was quarantined in Manali since her return on July 11. The state's infection tally now stands to 1,665 with Solan contributing the maximum number of cases, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

Meanwhile, 10 patients—six in Solan; three in Hamirpur; and one in Kangra---recovered from the infection, he said. As many as 1,077 people have recovered and 15 have migrated out of the state till now. The state currently has 560 active cases, he said.

Solan has the highest number of active cases in the state at 239, followed by 83 in Sirmaur; 53 in Kangra; 51 in Shimla; 39 in Una, 22 in Chamba; 18 in Bilaspur; 17 in Kinnaur; 15 in Kullu; 12 in Hamirpur; and 11 in Mandi..