Shimla: Five more deaths and a biggest spurt of 673 cases in the past 48 hours have put Himachal Pradesh back on the Corona clock despite recent restrictions on cancellation of all religious, sports, social and cultural events in the state .
Biggest spike among the five hotspot districts is now in Kangra district, where 92 new cases have been reported in just a single day with Una ,a small district also witnessing the fastest spread of the infection.
The single day rise, which used to be between 20 to 25 till March 17, is exceeding the 70-mark in Una. The district borders with Punjab, where the Covid has taken a heavy toll on the locals.
Other districts having seen the increase in the cases also include Shimla with 45 cases on Sunday. Two other districts Solan and Sirmaur are also reporting spurt in the cases.
Despite this, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur went to Solan to launch the party's campaign for the April 7 Municipal Corporation elections. He addressed a big gathering in the town at two places, attracting criticism of the opposition Congress for showing no regard to the social distancing norms.
"We have already said that the BJP government has two yard sticks for the Covid restrictions –one for the public and other for itself. The BJP is a super spreader of the infection in the state. If there are more cases coming,and deaths, the Chief Minister should answer it," said leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri.
Meanwhile, the government has already banned public celebration of holi and closed down all educational institutions to break the infection cycle. The fresh spurt in the cases of Covid has started casting its adverse impact on the state's tourism industry ,which was expecting a good summer season.
Anup Thakur, president of Manali Hoteliers Association, said "the way infection has gripped the states of Punjab, Delhi and Maharashtra, the tourists arrivals are bound to hit in Himachal Pradesh. There is already an impact as bookings are down by 50 percent."