Himachal's Norbulingka Institute turned into containment zone amid COVID spike

After 35 people were tested positive for COVID-19 in Dharmshala, Himachal Pradesh, the district government has declared Norbulingka Institute, a Tibetan art and craft institute in Sidhpur, as a containment zone. Tenzin Lekshay, the spokesman for the Tibetan government-in-exile's Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), informed that a total of 88 people have contracted coronavirus in the last ten days. Regular check-up is underway to prevent the spread of the disease. 

"A total of 88 people have been tested positive in the last ten days. Norbulingka Institute has been converted into a containment zone. Regular check-up is going on so that we can prevent further contamination of the disease," Lekshay  told ANI.

Positive COVID-19 cases have also been reported in CTA, Tibetan Children Village (TCV) and Mcleodganj.  Lekshay went on to say that they have formed a task force to cope with the COVID-19 cases, which are increasing in number, day by day. Lekshay also said that all the members of the Tibetan community have been told that a regular assessment and testing would be conducted by the task force.  

According to ANI, the director of Delek Hospital Dawa Phunkey, informed that the Norbulingka Institute is currently having 35 positive cases, while the COVID-19 care centre in the Tibetan reception centre has 33 COVID-19 cases and some in TCV school. 

Himachal's COVID-19 tally

As per the recent health official report on 25 September, an eight-year-old boy was among four who died due to COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh, with 202 new cases, bringing the total number of infections to 2,18,202. The health official further added that 164 additional people have been cured of the virus, taking the total number of persons who have recovered from the virus to 2,12,736.  

Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur stated that the state has aimed to attain 100 per cent immunisation against COVID-19 by November 2021. Speaking at a public occasion, Thakur stated that the Union Government has given the State Government unwavering assistance and support in combating the COVID-19 outbreak in the state. 

Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Commerce and Industries, praised the Himachal Pradesh administration's accomplishments in becoming the first state in the nation to provide 100 per cent first dose of COVID-19 vaccination to eligible age groups.

(Image: ANI)