Manali, November 20: Except one, all residents of a village in Himachal Pradesh's Lahaul and Spiti district have tested positive for coronavirus or COVID-19. Bhushan Thakur, 52, is the only resident of Thorang village who was found COVID-19 negative. Except for Thakur, all other 41 residents were found to be infected with coronavirus during a testing drive. The Lahaul and Spiti district is the worst-hit district by the pandemic in Himachal Pradesh in terms of population ratio. Himachal Pradesh: COVID-19 Cases Cross 32,000-mark, 12 More Deaths Reported.

According to a report by Times of India, currently, 42 people are residing in Thorang village as most people have migrated to Kullu for winter. A few days back, the entire village decided to go for COVID-19 test. Of the total 42 samples, 41 tested positive for coronavirus. Several other people residing in the surrounding areas have also tested positive. Notably, the villagers had recently gathered at one place during a religious programme. Himachal Pradesh Tightens COVID-19 Norms, Caps Congregational Gatherings at Maximum of 100 Persons.

Thakur is staying in a separate room as five members of his family have also tested positive. He is cooking his own food. "I was with my family members until we got to know about the results. However, I was strict about all protocols like sanitising hands, wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing when in public areas. People should not take this disease lightly. As the winter season is setting in, people should take extra precaution," he was quoted as saying.

The district has reported some 856 coronavirus cases so far. Following a surge in cases in Lahaul region, tourist movement has been restricted to Teling nullah near the north portal of the Rohtang tunnel. The villages beyond the tunnel have been turned into containment zones. The situation remains concerning in Spiti as well. On October 28, 39 residents of Rangrik village in Spiti tested positive.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 20, 2020 02:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).