E-Paper
19-yr-old mother among six fresh cases take Chandigarh tally to 74
Other patients include a 32-year-old man from Bapu Dham, a contact of the first positive patient there, and kin of two other positive cases
A 19-year-old woman from Bapu Dham who gave birth to a boy on the April 28 was among six persons who tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, taking Chandigarh’s count to 74.
The new cases include a man, aged 32, from Bapu Dham Colony in Sector 26, a contact of the first case in the area, a 30-year-old male operation theatre (OT) attendant at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32.
The others are the brother, aged 14, and mother, aged 39, of a positive patient from Sector 52 and the son, aged 10 and wife, aged 32, of another confirmed case in Sector 30.
Four persons who were in contact with the 19-year-old new mother have also tested positive, but other confirmatory tests are awaited.
62% CASES IN SIX DAYS
What is worrying authorities is that 62% (46) of the total 74 cases in the city have been reported in the six days between April 25 and 30 , and in a majority of cases the source of infection has not been established yet.
Among the 74 cases, 25 patients are from Bapu Dham Colony and 16 from Sector 30. Both areas have been declared hotspots and sealed.
The 19-year-old woman tested positive at the Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, on April 30, becoming the first positive patient to deliver a baby in the tricity.
“Both mother and son are doing well. The woman reported to GMSH-16 on April 28 for delivery. As she was from the Covid-19 hotspot in Bapu Dham Colony we collected her swab samples and sent them for tests as per protocol. Her reports came back positive after she had given birth to a boy,” said a senior doctor from the hospital, wishing to remain anonymous.
The woman has been moved to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, while the newborn remains at GMSH-16 until he is tested for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, UT adviser Manoj Parida said that until 8:30pm on Thursday all 118 samples at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research and GMCH, Sector, 32 had tested negative.
