E-Paper
Jalandhar, Mohali and Patiala account for 60% cases in Punjab
WORST-AFFECTED The three districts have contributed 181 cases to overall tally of the state at 298; no active cases in six districts now whereas five districts are left with a single active case each
Even as Punjab has witnessed more than 100 Covid-19 cases in the past eight days bringing its tally to 298, nearly 60% of the total cases have been reported from the three districts of Jalandhar, Mohali and Patiala.
These districts have contributed 181 cases to the overall tally of the state with most cases coming from Jalandhar and Mohali, 63 each.
An analysis of the medical bulletin of the Punjab health department reveals that out of 100 cases recorded in the state in the past eight days (since April 17), 80 have been reported from the three districts, including 44 from Patiala and 29 from Jalandhar.
Mohali, the district which witnessed a sharp spike in number of cases in the first fortnight of the current month, added only seven cases in the past eight days.
If the figures of Pathankot (24) and SBS Nagar (19), the districts with fourth and fifth positions are also added, the tally of the five districts reaches 224, nearly 75% of the total cases in the state.
Notably, 18 patients in SBS Nagar have already been cured of coronavirus while one person had died in the district. The SBS Nagar has no active case now.
Of the 22 districts in Punjab, three districts – Bathinda, Tarn Taran and Fazilka -- have not witnessed any Covid-19 positive case.
Apart from SBS Nagar, there are no active cases of the virus in Moga, Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur, Barnala and Rupnagar as all patients in these five districts have been cured.
Five districts of Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Muktsar, Sangrur and Ferozepur districts have now one each active case.
“The fast addition of cases in Jalandhar and Patiala is a cause of concern. But it’s also a fact that because of strong mapping of the positive cases and containment of areas, we have been able to stop the spread of cases in more than half of the districts now. It’s a positive sign before the start of the deliberations for opening the lockdown in certain areas, post-May 3,” said health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu.
HIGHEST EVER TESTING IN A DAY
Meanwhile, Punjab on Friday ramped up its testing by taking 1,854 samples across the state, the highest in a day so far.
“We have decided to expand the testing further in the coming days,” said Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, health department spokesperson for COVID-19.
The department also started pool testing in some districts on Friday.
