No fresh case reported from Himachal; tally stays at 40

No new coronavirus case surfaced in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, keeping the state tally at 40, even as 355 samples were sent for testing , a senior health official said.

Of the samples sent for testing, 178 were declared negative while reports of the rest were awaited, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman said.

The highest 97 samples were taken from Hamirpur, followed by Una (65), Solan (52), Bilaspur (32), Mandi (31), Shimla (20), Chamba (16), Kullu (15), Sirmaur (14) and Kangra (13), he added.

These tests are being conducted at Tanda's Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (RPGMC); Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla; and Central Research Institute (CRI) in Solan.

So far 40 coronavirus cases have been reported in the state.

The number of active cases being treated in various hospitals of the state has risen from 22 to 23 as a cured patient retested positive for coronavirus on Saturday.

While 11 of 40 confirmed cases have recovered, two died.

The two deaths include that of a 70-year-old Delhi resident who had stayed at a factory's guest house in Solan's Baddi and died at the Chandigarh's PGIMER on April 2.

Four patients were shifted to a private hospital outside Himachal Pradesh on their request.