12 Chhatbir Zoo staffers test positive for Covid-19 as 202 new cases surface in Chandigarh tricity area

Meanwhile, four people succumbed to the virus, including three in Mohali district

Four people succumbed to Covid-19 while 202 tested positive in the tricity on Wednesday.

Three of the deaths were reported from Mohali district, which also accounted for more than 50% of the fresh cases. Among 105 cases in the district, 12 are of Chhatbir Zoo employees. A range officer was the only one showing symptoms.

Zoo field director M Sudhakar said: “We have been screening and testing employees on a regular basis after the zoo was thrown open to the public. Those who tested positive have been isolated and quarantined at home. None of the animal attendants and zookeepers have tested positive.”

The district has recorded 17,726 cases and 334 deaths so far. As many as 15,768 patients have recovered, including 152 discharged on Wednesday. The number of active cases stands at 1,624.

Chandigarh reported 82 cases, one death and 76 recoveries on Wednesday. The deceased has been identified as an 82-year-old woman of Sector 15. With this, the toll has climbed to 313. Of 19,266 cases so far, 18,584 have been cured and 369 remain active.

In Panchkula, 15 people tested positive, lowest this month, and no casualty was reported. The district’s infection tally stands at 9,792, of which 271 cases are active. While 9,382 patients have been cured and discharged, 139 have died.