Except one resident, all people of Thorang village in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul tested positive for coronavirus. Thorang village along the Manali-Leh highway has 42 residents as others have migrated to Kullu for winter. 52-year-old Bhushan Thakur was the only person found negative. The district has been one of the worst affected in terms of population ratio in the state.
The outspread is being linked to a religious programme which was held few days back and social gathering is being blamed for the community transmission, sources say. People from the surrounding areas are also feared to be Covid-19 positive.
The administration has restricted tourism movement to Teling nullah near the north portal of the Rohtang Tunnel to avoid the spread. Moreover, tourists weren’t allowed to enter Lahaul villages on Thursday as the village beyond Rohtang Tunnel has been turned into containment zones.
“I am staying in a separate room and have been cooking my meals for the last four days. I was with my family members until we got to know about the results. However, I was strict about the protocols like sanitising hands, wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing in public areas. People should not take this disease lightly,” said Bhushan Thakur, whose five family members tested positive. The rising cases in Lahaul Spiti villages in Himachal have become a matter of concern as 856 people have been found positive in the district.
