As many as 90 per cent COVID-19 positive cases in Himachal Pradesh have been found to be asymptomatic so far.

The people who are asymptomatic are kept in COVID care centers in the state and are properly isolated with good diet and supplements, said Additional Chief Secretary (Health), RD Dhiman.

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Dhiman told The Statesman that 87 percent of COVID-19 positive cases in HP had travel history (all those who came from outside). “Eleven percent cases were local contacts of the people with travel history, while three per cent were COVID-19 positive without any travel history or contact. We don’t know their history. But that’s not community spread,” Dhiman said.

Himachal Pradesh had reported 864 COVID-19 positive cases till last evening, with 350 active cases and seven deaths so far.

He said the spike in cases of COVID-19 in Himachal Pradesh came in June month. “Since 1 June, 500 COVID-19 cases have been reported,” he said.

Dhiman said most of them have travel history to NCR ( National Capital Region) and some from Bombay.

The Additional CS said among all COVID-19 positive cases in Himachal, 74 comprised males.

Dhiman said Himachal Pradesh has been very high on testing for COVID-19.

“We conducted 10,000 tests per million population for COVID-19 compared with the national average of 5900 tests per million. We conducted more tests per million than the neighbouring states also,” he said.

He said Chandigarh conducted 6100 tests per million, Uttarakhand 5600, Punjab 9200 and Haryana 8400 tests per million population. He said Andhra Pradesh however has gone for 15000 tests for COVID-19 per million population.

“The positivity rate in Himachal is 1.1 per cent against national average of 6.5 per cent,” he said.

Dhiman said out of seven deaths in Himachal, five had kidney failure or other problems.

He said the cure rate for COVID-19 in Himachal is 58 percent and the death rate 0.8 per cent. The death rate at national level is 3.17 per cent and on global it is 5.09 per cent.

Dhiman said the COVID-19 brought to light the health infrastructure in urban areas. “In urban areas, like bigger cities, the tertiary health care may be good, but the primary health care is lacking. However in rural areas, preventive and promotive health care is available which helped in COVID-19,” he said.

He said Himachal being a rural state, the primary health infrastructure for preventive and promotive health care is good.

He informed that the state earlier had 110 ventilators, but the Government of India has now made available 500 ventilators more for the state. “Out of 500 ventillators, two hundred have been received and 300 are on their way. We will receive them in one or two days,” he said.