7-year-old girl, two women test positive for COVID-19 in HP; tally rises to 71

A seven-year-old girl and two women have tested positive for coronavirus in Himachal Pradesh, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 71, officials said on Thursday.

The three fresh cases were reported from Sirmaur and Kangra districts in the state, they said.

A 24-year-old woman who recently returned to Himachal Pradesh from Mumbai tested positive for the dreaded virus at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC) in Kangra on Thursday, the officials said.

On Wednesday night, a 30-year-old woman and her daughter from Sirmaur's Paonta Sahib tested positive for COVID-19, Special Secretary (Health) Nipun Jindal said. The two had returned from Delhi on May 4.

The woman and her daughter were quarantined after they had returned to Paonta Sahib on May 4 and their samples were taken for testing on May 12, Sirmaur Deputy Commissioner R K Pruthi said, adding that both of them were asymptomatic.

A total of 706 people returned to Sirmaur district from various red zones, Pruthi said.

Out of these 706 people, samples of 541 were taken for tests, he said.

With the three new cases, the COVID-19 tally in the state rose to 71. Three people have lost their lives due to the disease.

There are 29 active cases in the state, while 39 people have recovered.

Twelve active cases are in Kangra, six in Chamba, four in Hamirpur, two each in Sirmaur and Bilaspur, and one each in Mandi, Una and Shimla.