COVID-19 lockdown: 13 booked for entering HP's Kangra without permission

Around 13 people who entered Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district without permission during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown have been identified and booked, an official said on Friday. The movement of people in Kangra district is not allowed and curfew passes are being given only in emergency situations, said Kangra Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati.

He said there will be a complete ban on entry in Kangra for those who come from coronavirus hotspots. The deputy commissioner said district residents are being regularly advised on ways to prevent COVID-19 infection. He said legal action was initiated against more than 200 people who violated the prohibitory orders in the district.

So far 285 samples have been collected from Kangra, of which only five were declared positive. One of the positive cases died earlier last month and three recovered. There is only one active case in the district as of now, the officer said. Samples of three persons who came in contact with a COVID-19 positive case were also taken and their reports returned negative.

In Kangra, 31,201 labourers and their families are living in slums. They have been provided ten days of ration, the deputy commissioner said. Three relief camps are also being run in which food and lodging arrangements have been made for 110 people. Besides, a hunger helpline has been started in the district for the poor, the officer said.