Another COVID-19 death in HP, toll now; cases rise to 77 after 2 new infections

A COVID-19 patient died in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, taking the death toll to four while the number of cases climbed to 77 in the state after two persons tested positive for the infection, officials said.

A 52-year-old coronavirus positive man from Hamirpur died in Mandi on Friday, Special Secretary (Health) Nipun Jindal said.

He had been admitted at Botha's RCH in Hamirpur a few days ago and was referred to Nerchowk's Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Hospital (SLBSGMC) in Mandi on Friday, Jindal added.

Hamirpur Medical College principal Dr. Anil Chauhan said the patient had breathing problem and that led to his death at SLBSGMC in Nerchowk.

He was a resident of Hamirpur's Hatli village in Galore area and was admitted to RCH Botha early this week, Chauhan said, adding this is the first death due to COVID-19 from Hamirpur district.

Himachal Pradesh reported two fresh cases of COVID-19 -- one each from Una and Kangra districts -- on Friday, the officials said.

The Una patient had recently returned from Mohali in Punjab and was kept under home quarantine.

The man tested positive after random sampling and will be shifted to a COVID hospital, the officials said.

Special Secretary (Health) said a 22-year-old man from Kangra's Fatehpur tehsil with mild symptoms has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. He returned from a red zone in Delhi on May 8.

There are 34 active cases in the state, while 39 people have recovered from the infection, the officials said.

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

Earlier, three persons lost their lives due to the novel coronavirus in the hill state.

A 21-year-old man from Mandi's Sarkaghat area died due to COVID-19 in Shimla on May 5.

A 70-year-old Delhi resident woman, who had been staying at the guest house of a factory in Solan's Baddi area, died due to the infection at the PGIMER in Chandigarh on April 2.

A 69-year-old man, who had returned from the US, died of COVID-19 at the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC) in Kangra district on March 23.