SHIMLA: Seventy-five people in Himachal Pradesh are under watch for coronavirus, while the restriction on the movement of 113 others has been lifted after they completed the observation period, health minister Vipin Singh Parmar said here on Monday.

A maximum of 22 people are under watch in Kangra district followed by 17 in Shimla and 12 in Solan.

They have been placed under home quarantine, Parmar said, adding those who have returned from China and other affected countries have been asked to keep the health authorities informed on helpline number 104.

He said a student from the state who was under watch at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) facility in Gurugram has tested negative for the virus and will be released on February 19.

The state government has asked school and college teachers who returned from foreign trips to south-east Asian countries to resume duty only after obtaining a medical fitness certificate from a government health institution.

He said the state authorities are in regular touch with the Union health ministry and all preventive measures have been taken according to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines.

Teams of doctors are examining those under watch on a daily basis.

VULNERABLE SPOTS

The authorities have identified Dharamshala, McLeodganj, Palampur and Bir village near Baijnath as vulnerable to coronavirus outbreak as a large number of foreign tourists visit these centres.

McLeodganj, being the abode of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, is visited by devotees from across the world, particularly China and south-east Asia.

Tourists visiting Dharamshala and surrounding areas have been asked to fill in a form, seeking health-related details that will be kept confidential.

Foreign tourists, while registering themselves with the district police, also need to submit a self-declaration of whether they have visited China or any other affected Asian country.

The coronavirus scare has affected tourism in Dharamshala as many of them have been cancelling their bookings.

District-wise breakup of people

under watch for COVID-19

Kangra: 22

Shimla: 17

Solan: 12

Hamirpur: 6

Sirmour: 5

Mandi: 5

Kullu: 3

Bilaspur: 2

Una: 2

Chamba: 1