Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has appreciated the efforts of the State Government in taking preventive steps to check spread of COVID-19 virus in the State. These views were expressed by him while addressing video conferencing with the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and other senior officers of the State Government from Delhi today.Jai Ram Thakur informed the Union Minister that till 1st May there was only one active COVID-19 case in the State but due to arrival of about one lakh people of Himachal Pradesh stranded in other parts of the country the number of active COVID-19 cases has gone upto 25. He said that the doubling rate of COVID-19 patients a week ago was 99 days which has now gone down to 12.5 days.Chief Minister said that the State was doing 1478 tests per million which was higher than the national average of 1367 per million. He said that the State Government has identified COVID-19 hospitals in the State to ensure that patients with other ailments get adequate opportunity for their treatment. He said that the Active Case Finding Campaign launched involving over 16 thousand ASHA and health workers has also helped in tracing out the suspected cases in the state.
Jai Ram Thakur said that the State Government has also ensured adequate number of PPE kits to the doctors, nurses and other para medical staff for their safety. He said that so far 35 corona positive patients have cured in the state. He said that two persons have died in the state of COVID-19, out of these one was a chronic patient and another was a kidney patient.Chief Minister said that the State Government has also developed a ‘Corona Mukt App’ with geo fencing facility which would help in checking the persons who jump from the home quarantine. He said that a message would be sent to the health worker as soon as the person under home quarantine goes 15 meters away from the quarantine location.Jai Ram Thakur said that the State Government has made it mandatory to the persons visiting the State from other parts of the country classified as red zone to go for institutional quarantine.Additional Chief Secretary Health R.D. Dhiman, Special Secretary Health Dr. Nipun Jindal, Director Health Services Ajay Gupta were also present on the occasion.