Shimla: The COVID-19 cases are increasing at an alarming rate in the state. The COVID-19 situation in Himachal has become alarming with the hill state having the highest positivity rate of 15.3 per cent in the country.

The state has left behind Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat, which were the main hotspots. The positive cases have shot up in the last fortnight.

With a sporadic surge in the cases, hospitals are facing shortage of beds, oxygen, oximeters and ambulances to ferry patients. Patients are being encouraged to go in for home isolation but with a huge number of positive cases requiring oxygen, hospitalisation becomes inevitable.

The State CM, although, claimed of having no dearth of oxygen and other health inputs, yet situation isn’t favourable.

As of now, state has 35,890 total corona virus positive cases. Shimla with 5,990 positive cases has maximum patients, while Mandi district has tested 5816 positive patients so far. Solan and Kangra districts have 4561 and 4511 cases respectively. 572 patients have so far died from the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, state Chief Minister has blamed the surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths, especially in the rural areas, to the winter and weddings. CM claimed that the people are infecting at alarming rate in rural weddings.

The state has imposed night curfew in four districts to discourage large indoor gatherings. Govt educational institutions were also closed till 31st December. 50 percent attendance of class III and Class IV employees were also imposed in the government offices.