No new case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was detected by the State health department in Uttarakhand on Thursday. The State already has 35 positive cases of COVID-19, out of whom five patients have recuperated from the disease and have been discharged from the hospitals.
Addressing media persons on Thursday, the additional secretary of medical health and family welfare department, Yugal Kishore Pant said that at present 30 patients of the disease are undergoing treatment in different hospitals of the State and all of them are out of danger. He added that none of the COVID-19 patients is on ventilator. He said that the state has 8451 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits which are adequate. “On Wednesday we had 7900 PPE kits and 29000 N-95 masks whereas on Thursday we have 8451 PPE kits and 32249 N 95 masks. We are continuously getting fresh supplies of both these items and they are being consumed simultaneously,’’ he said.
He added that reports of 46 suspected patients of the disease were received by the department on Thursday and all of them were found negative for the disease. He said that reports of 261 samples are still awaited. Pant added that a total of 1531 swab samples of suspected patients have so far been taken for COVID-19 test. On Thursday, samples of 156 suspected patients was taken and sent to the lab for test. Pant informed that 1637 suspected patients of the disease are under institutional quarantine while 42450 are in home quarantine. He said that stickers have been pasted outside the homes of the quarantined people and the neighbours of such people should immediately call on the 104 helpline if they observe that the quarantined are venturing out of their homes.
The Additional Chief Executive Officer (ACEO) of Uttarakhand Disaster Management Authority (USDMA), Riddhim Aggarwal said that there is no shortage of food items in the state so people should refrain from panic buying or hoarding of items. She said that the state government has directed that the manufacture, movement and distribution of essential items should not get affected by the lockdown. She appealed that during 7 am to 1 pm when there is relaxation to the people to buy essential items, the social distancing norms should be strictly adhered to. Aggarwal informed that 4700 people are lodged in different relief camps in the state and 82000 food packets have been distributed to poor so far she added that to felicitate the social organisation involved in helping the poor affected by the lock down, nodal officers in every districts have been appointed.
She said that contact tracing activity is on full swing by the teams of the health department to identify the people who came into contact with the affected people of the disease. The ACEO, USDMA said that a total 27500 such people have been identified in different parts of the state0. She said that 1481 Jamat followers have been kept under quarantine in the state.
