COVID-19 pandemic in Uttarakhand

15 March: The first case was reported in March, in Dehradun when an Indian Forest Service official returned from Spain.[5]

19 March: 2 more IFS trainees tested positive.[6]

As on 7 June, total number of cases in Uttarakhand is 72, including 46 active cases 1 death and 25 recoveries.[2]

As on 7 June, total number of cases in Uttarakhand was 1350, including 809 active cases 13 deaths and 528 recoveries.[2]

As on 11 June, total number of cases in Uttarakhand is 1692, including 771 active cases 19 deaths and 895 cures.[2]

On 24th March, the Uttarakhand Police sealed the hotel where IFS officials were staying.[9] The Kanwar Yatra has been cancelled in view of the pandemic.[10] As of 8th June, there are 55 containment centres in the state.[11]

On June 14th, the state government stated that it would screen the entire population of Uttarakhand in the next ten days.[12]

As of 8th June, 6,294 contact traces of 1,380 COVID-19 patients has been done in the state.[11] 1,30,000 people are reportedly in quarantine, of which most are in-home quarantine.[11]

24 March: State government takes control of all private hospitals which have more than 100 beds and reserved 25% of these for COVID-19 patients.[9]

The government has also approved Rs 578.34 lakh for an oxygen supply pipeline in the district and sub-district hospitals.[13]

According to the Chief Secretary of the State Utpal Kumar Singh, there are 20,000 COVID-19 beds of which 243 are with ICU, and only 126 with ventilators.[11] It has been proposed that 150 ventilators are to be added.[14] However, the Government Doon Medical College, Dehradun has been declared a 'Centre of excellence for clinical management of COVID-19' in the state.[15] On 25th May, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat had announced Rs 50 lakh for every hospital dealing with COVID-19 in the state.[16]

Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres are experience a huge shortages of safety gear (PPE equipment) for health professionals[17]. Asha workers and other health professionals at the frontline too have to spend money from their pocket to buy sanitisers, gloves and masks[17]. There is a dearth of staff and other medical professionals across urban and rural health care centres in the state[17].

In view of the controversy[18] around people opposing the last rites of individuals deceased because of COVID-19, the Governor of Uttarakhand Baby Rani Maurya has asked the state government to find a solution. The Chief Minister has stated that the cremation of individuals is being carried out under the guidelines of the Union Government, and that officials have been directed to open electric crematoriums in Haldwani and Haridwar, apart from Dehradun.[19]

The state government has decided to audit every death related to the pandemic.[20]