E-Paper
16 new Covid-19 cases in Ludhiana, tally climbs to 744
As many as five persons from various districts of Punjab succumbed to the virus at various Ludhiana health facilities.
The district confirmed 16 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, taking the tally to 744.
Of the total confirmed cases, as many as 523 patients have been discharged and 19 have succumbed to the virus. Ludhiana now has 202 active cases.
Among the patients are two elderly men, aged 83 and 73, from Maya Nagar, Civil Lines, and Indraprasth Nagar, Haibowal, respectively.
A 54-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman were found positive in Sector 38, Chandigarh Road, while a 40-year-old woman and her 15-year-old son are from Kakrala Khurd village in Samrala.
A man, aged 43, was found infected at Guru Gyan Vihar, Dugri; a 45-year-old man at Model Town, another man, aged 49, at Ajit Nagar, Haibowal Kalan; a 44-year-old at Ajit Singh Nagar and a 27-year-old at Moti Nagar, Chandigarh Road.
There were five more female patients – a 60-year-old from Jaswant Nagar; 55-year-old from Satjot Nagar, Dhandra Road, Dugri; a 29-year-old from Tajpur Road; a 28-year-old from JP Colony, Bhamian Khurd; and a 28-year-old working at a private hospital in Ludhiana.
Six new micro-containment zones
With Covid-19 cases soaring through June, six new micro-containment zones have been created in the district. These include Samrat Colony and Guru Harkrishan Nagar in Giaspura; New Ashok Nagar and New Kartar Nagar in Salem Tabri; Basant Avenue, Phase Two, Dugri; and Ram Nagar near Sangeet Cinema, Vishwakarma Colony. Only a few parts of an area are sealed in a micro-containment zone.
The district also has three containment zones at Chhawani Mohalla, Habibganj, Sensi Mohalla and Islamganj, Prem Nagar, where the complete area is sealed.
Five from other districts dead
Five patients from Pathankot, Jalandhar, Sangrur and Bathinda died in different health facilities of Ludhiana.
Amarjit Singh, 51, a resident Pukhraj Colony, Bathinda, died at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital on Friday night. He was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition on June 25 and kept on ventilator support, said hospital medical superintendent Dr Ashwani Chaudhary.
Ashwani Kumar, 65, of Jalandhar, died at SPS Hospital near Sherpur Chowk on Saturday. He was referred to the hospital from a private health facility in Jalandhar on June 23. “He was suffering from renal cancer and kept on ventilator support, but did not respond to treatment and died on Saturday,” said Dr Rajiv Kundra, medical superintendent of the hospital.
The other deceased are a 43-year-old woman, Neeru, from Pathankot and two persons from Malerkotla, Sangrur, Dilshad and Mohd Akbar, aged 40 and 63, respectively.
With this the total number of Covid-19 deaths from other districts has reached 22, while 19 Ludhiana residents have died due to the illness.
Covid care centres to get 700 more beds
A day after the district crossed the 700 mark in Covid-19 cases, the health authorities have decided to add 700 more beds to accommodate the rising number of patients.
As present there are 202 actives cases in the district, while 57 patients from other districts are also undergoing treatment in Ludhiana. In all, various Covid care centres in the district, including the civil hospital, have 500 beds, which will be increased to 1,200 by June 30.
Vikas Garg, registrar, Co-operative Societies, who is a member of the Covid-19 task force, visited Ludhiana on Saturday to review the arrangements at health facilities and space available to accommodate more beds.
Later, he conducted a meeting with deputy commissioner Varinder Sharma, commissioner of police Rakesh Agrawal and health department officials at the Circuit House.
Sharma said, “We have identified a few hostels at Punjab Agricultural University, besides a health facility at Doraha, which will be converted into Covid care centres.”
