Healthcare worker, 2-month-old girl among 7 fresh cases in Chandigarh, take count to 181
GMSH-16 worker had come in contact with body of Covid-19 patient; 2 docs among 4 discharged, taking active cases to 150
A healthcare worker and a two-month-old girl are among seven people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Chandigarh on Monday, taking the total count of infections to 181.
Meanwhile, two doctors were among four people discharged from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), bringing the number of recovered patients to 28.
With three deaths so far, active cases stand at 150.
Among the fresh cases, a 35-year-old healthcare worker at Government Multi Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, was exposed to infection while handling the body of the 32-year-old Hallomajra man who had tested positive posthumously last week. He is a resident of Sector 7.
A two-month-old girl from Sector 25 was also found infected at GMSH-16, after being admitted there a week ago with pneumonia-like symptoms, said officials.
The remaining five cases are from the hotspot Bapu Dham Colony, including four females, aged 16, 21, 42, 60, and one 15-year-old boy. With this the total count in the colony has reached 115, which accounts for 63% of the total cases in the city.
SOOD DHARAMSHALA TO ACCOMMODATE PATIENTS
With the increasing number of cases, the health department has decided to press into service Sood Dharamshala, Sector 22, as a Covid-19 care centre, after the ayurvedic college in Sector 46 exhausts its capacity.
“The ayurvedic college has almost been filled. Now Sood Dharamshala with the capacity of 300 beds will be used,” said Arun Kumar Gupta, UT health secretary.
He said the decision on new discharge policy of the ministry of health and family welfare will be taken on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, those discharged on Monday include two women doctors of Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, and two persons from Bapu Dham Colony.They had tested positive during routine screening, being contacts of a healthcare worker of GMCH who had tested positive earlier. They were admitted to the PGIMER on April 27.
After their discharge, the recovery rate in Chandigarh has gone up from 13.8% to 15.4% in Chandigarh in a day. “The discharge of every person is a success story for the Covid-19 team, strengthening our resolve to gear up further and win this battle,” said PGIMER director Dr Jagat Ram.
NO NEW CASE IN MOHALI, PANCHKULA
The neighbouring districts of Mohali and Panchkula reported no fresh case on Monday, with the Covid-19 count at 105 and 22, respectively.
Seven cases had surfaced in Mohali on Sunday, but all those infected had been working in Rupnagar. While four are drivers who brought back pilgrims from Nanded, Maharashtra, and had already been in quarantine, the remaining three are health workers.
“We have traced their contacts and will take the samples on Tuesday,” said civil surgeon Dr Manjit Singh.
Meanwhile, family members of the 74-year-old Zirakpur man who tested positive for Covid-19 posthumously last week have tested negative. At present, the district has 48 active cases, as 54 people have been cured while three have died.
In Panchkula, the health authorities on Monday identified and tested 15 family contacts of both the truck driver and a private firm employee who were found to be positive on Sunday. Seven teams were set up to carry out area surveillance in Majri and Sector 19, which have been partially turned into containment zones after these new cases.
However, five women constables, immediate contacts of a woman cook at the Sector 5 police station who tested positive on Saturday, tested negative for the infection on Monday.
Health teams will also initiate process of taking samples of persons over the age 60 years and with chronic illness in high-risk areas of the district, including containment zones.