Shimla Chief Medical Officer acknowledges community spread in Himachal Pradesh, while Chief Minister Jairam Thakur says the state has entered a crucial stage in its fight against Covid-19.
With 319 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, the death toll rose up to 64 in Himachal Pradesh. On Thursday, the Himachal government admitted that the Coronavirus pandemic has entered the community spread stage in the hill state, which until recently proudly claimed to have managed the pandemic better than any other state.
Health Minister Dr Rajeev Sejhal remarked that the “sudden spike in positive cases during the past few days, with more patients succumbing to the disease, hints at the possibility of community spread in the state.” Chief Minister Jairam Thakur added that the Covid-19 infections were at an all-time high in the state. “There are different views regarding if there’s community spread, but we can certainly say that the state has entered a crucial stage,” Thakur added.
He made a strong appeal to citizens to take utmost care to protect themselves. “When the number of cases were not so high, people strictly followed social distancing norms and were extra vigilant. But now when the cases are raising, the attitude has become very casual. Carelessness is definitely a dangerous sign,” the Chief Minister warned. Its reported that districts of Solan, Simaur, Kangra and Una have emerged as hotspots.
Shimla Chief Medical Officer Surekha Chopra said that the recent data of Covid-19 cases established community spread of the virus. “The coronavirus cases are increasing day by day and neither the index cases nor travel history is being found, which establishes that its community spread”, she said. "That was why the monthly meeting of doctors with ASHA workers was held under the open sky in Shimla on September 7 as open air and sunlight help in reducing the spread of the virus," she added.
Solan district, which has the maximum incidence of Covid-19 cases so far, has reported the highest number of deaths—15, followed by 11 in Kangra district. Total number of cases on Thursday reached 8466, as the state government allowed opening of places of worship, which were closed since March. The number of active cases, as per the latest bulletin was 2,723 on Thursday.