Coronavirus patients recovering in U'khand

Two IFS probationers being treated for coronavirus in Uttarakhand looked on way to recovery on Saturday, while one was discharged from hospital on Friday after testing negative twice.

All three have tested negative for COVID-19. One was discharged from hospital on Friday after testing negative twice for the disease, while the other two are still at the Doon Hospital isolation ward, an official communique said.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said their recovery shows the efficiency of doctors treating them.

In total, there are five coronavirus positive cases in Uttarakhand, including the three IFS probationers, one man in Kotdwar and a foreign national.

Four of them had a travel history to Spain and one is a US national.

On Saturday, thinner crowds were seen following social distancing norms at sabzi mandis' and shops selling essentials as they remained open for six hours from 7 am to 1 pm.

The duration for the opening of shops dealing in groceries in Uttarakhand was extended from three hours to six hours on Friday to prevent overcrowding.

Though the movement of four wheelers was banned on the roads in view of the lockdown, the chief minister ordered uninterrupted movement of vehicles carrying essential supplies.

Meanwhile, 84 people from Uttarakhand who had got stranded in Delhi while returning home from their respective places of work outside the state have been brought to Dehradun, Haldwani and Tanakpur.

They will be sent home after a medical check-up, officials said, adding that they are being looked after properly.

A mobile app has also been launched by the Health Department to help people inform authorities in case they show symptoms of coronavirus such as cough and cold, irritation in throat or feverishness.