131 people including state minister, his 2 daughters test COVID positive in HP

Himachal Pradesh cabinet minister Sukh Ram Chaudhary and his two daughters were among the 131 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the state on Thursday, taking the tally of coronavirus cases to 3,048.

This is the highest spike of cases reported on a single day in the state so far, according to government data.  In a Facebook post, Chaudhary, the multi-purpose projects (MPP) and power minister, stated that his personal assistant Sonu Chaudhary has tested COVID-19 positive. So, he got himself tested and the report is positive, he added.

The legislator from Sirmaur's Paonta Sahib requested those who came in contact with him recently to get themselves quarantined and tested for the virus.

"Sukh Ram Chaudhary, Power Minister, and his two daughters have tested positive. Minister is being shifted to Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital in Shimla and his daughters to COVID care centre in Shimla's Mashobra," additional chief secretary (health) R D Dhiman said.

Chaudhary was inducted in the state cabinet along with two other MLAs on July 30.  In a tweet, chief minister Jai Ram Thakur wished him a speedy recovery.  Of the fresh cases, 47 were reported from Kullu, 21 from Hamirpur, 16 from Solan, 14 from Una, nine from Sirmaur, seven from Bilaspur, six from Mandi, four each from Kangra and Shimla, and one each from Chamba and Kinnaur, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

As many as 103 more COVID-19 patients -- 34 in Sirmaur, 25 in Solan, 17 in Kangra, 11 in Mandi, five each in Shimla and Una, three in Bilaspur, two in Kullu and one in Chamba -- have recovered from the infection, he said.

So far, 1,865 people have recovered from the infection in Himachal Pradesh, while 26 patients have migrated out of the state.

The death toll due to the disease stands at 13, he said, adding that there are 1,142 active COVID-19 cases in the state at present.

Solan has the highest number of active cases in the state at 383, followed by 145 in Mandi, 120 in Sirmaur, 115 in Kangra, 79 in Una, 68 in Shimla, 58 in Bilaspur, 50 in Chamba, 34 in Hamirpur, 22 in Kullu and 11 in Kinnaur.