13 people, who came in contact with COVID-19 positive Punjab doctor, tested in HP's Kangra

Samples of 13 people from Kangra district, who came in contact with a coronavirus positive doctor of a private hospital in Punjab's Pathankot, have been sent for verification on Sunday, officials said.

The reports are expected to come by Monday.

The lady doctor from a private hospital in Pathankot was found to be infected by COVID-19. Later, it was found that there were 13 people from Kangra district who were undergoing treatment under the doctor.

After this matter was revealed, the Pathankot district magistrate released the list of these 13 people to the Kangra administration.

The people who gave the samples comprise three persons from Indora, five from Nurpur region, three from Fatehpur and one each from Baijnath and Kangra. Out of them,a woman from Fatehpur Dhametta region has already been admitted to Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College Hospital, Tanda.

SDM (Fatehpur) Balwan Chand, SDM (Nurpur) Surendra Thakur and BMO (Indora) Kapil have confirmed that the samples have been sent for investigation. If any of them are declared positive for the virus, further action will be taken, the officials said.

Among those who were tested are few elderly persons aged 70, 83, and 91 years. There is also a 25-year-old youth. Residents of the district are slightly worried after the doctor tested positive as many people from Kangra district go to the private hospital for treatment.

Kangra Superintendent of Police Vimukt Ranjan has advised people to get themselves treated in Kangra for now.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Gurdarshan Gupta has urged people to visit hospitals only when it becomes essential as their exposure may cause infection and put their safety in danger.

He also appealed to them to avoid bringing children and elderly people to the places where there were chances of their exposure to the infection. He said the E-Sanjeevani Portal had been designed to help people and they should take advantage of it to keep their family safe.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Prajapati said those coming to Kangra district from outside states should ensure compliance with the protocol of COVID-19 keeping in mind the safety of their family and society and it would be necessary to stay in home quarantine for the scheduled time.

After new guidelines were issued by the government, the residents of Kangra district stranded in the outside states are being allowed to come on a conditional basis, he said.