6 days ago
Himachal reports first COVID-19 case in latest surge as 82-year-old woman tests positive
An 82-year-old woman tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday at the Yashwant Singh Parmar Government Medical College in Nahan in Himachal Pradesh's Sirmour district.
Sources said the woman, who already has age-related complications, is a resident of Sarahan in Sirmour, and came to the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms.
Dr Amitabh Jain, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Sirmaur, said the woman tested positive through a rapid antigen test, and her sample will be sent to Mandi for genome sequencing to identify the variant.
Dr Jain said following the positive test, the block medical officer (BMO) was instructed to trace and test all individuals who came in contact with the woman.
He added that the oxygen plant at Nahan Medical College is fully functional, ICU facilities have been arranged, and a requisition for RT-PCR test kits has also been sent to the concerned department.
Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh Health Department has issued an advisory urging public caution, making mask-wearing mandatory in hospitals, and strongly recommended for senior citizens, children, and those with co-morbidities in crowded areas.
The advisory, approved by the secretary (Health), urged people in the state to follow the precautions strictly.
According to the national COVID dashboard, there are 4,302 active cases in the country, with the highest number in Kerala at 1,373, followed by Maharashtra at 510, Gujarat at 461, and Delhi at 457 cases.
