DEHRADUN: With the number of coronavirus cases in Uttarakhand crossing 1000-mark, the infection rate of hills is now more than plain areas of the state.
Four plain districts have an infection rate for Covid-19 at around 3 per cent while in 9 hill districts, the infection rate has touched 4 per cent.
Experts expressed their concern adding that COVID has now reached the hills and if not checked can prove disastrous given the situation of health infrastructure and tough terrain of the state.
Anoop Nautiyal, founder of Social Development for Communities Foundation said, "The fatal infection penetrating the master of the hill than plain areas of the state is a source of worry. The state has no infrastructure for transport and health facilities which can result in heavy casualties. The government should pay more attention to the hills."
State government officials said that the cases have spiked in the hills because migrants who are returning have a travel history and came in contact with people who were infected.
"The cases have spiked due to the return of migrants. We have already made arrangements to quarantine them to check the spread," said Amit Negi, secretary health, Uttarakhand.
Till date, total 1066 cases of Coronavirus have been detected on the state out of which 259 have already recovered.
The maximum number of cases are detected in Dehradun district with 287 followed by Nainital (286), Pithoragarh (150), Tehri (91), Haridwar (86), Udham Singh Nagar (82), Almora (63), Pauri (38), Champawat (33), Chamoli (23), Bageshwar, Uttarkashi 21 each and Rudraprayag (8).
Out of these maxima have recovered in Nainital district (118) followed by 44 each in Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar (13), Almora (11), Champawat and Uttarkashi 7 each, Bageshwar (6), Tehri (5) and Pauri (4).
Total 8 deaths have been attributed so far to the pandemic.