20 succumb to contagion in a day in Ludhiana

With 1,347 new infections, cases have crossed 60,000-mark in a week; majority fatalities were men; four were below age of 40

The district recorded yet another high of 20 deaths and 1,347 coronavirus infections on Tuesday with a 28-year-old man becoming the youngest person to succumb to the contagion.

A health worker collecting a swab sample during a testing camp at Sarabha Nagar in Ludhiana on Tuesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

The district’s Covid tally, which was 50,000 at the beginning of the week crossed the 60,000-mark in seven days, touching 60,135. The death toll climbed to 1,451 while the number of active cases mounted to 10,316.

The majority of Covid victims were men while four of the deceased were below the age of 40.

(HT Fil)

Sixteen men — a 75-year-old resident of Prem Vihar, a 72-year-old resident of Jagraon, a 67-year-old resident of Vikas Nagar, a 64-year-old resident of Janta Nagar, a 62-year-old resident of Kailash Nagar, a 66-year-old resident of Chandigarh Road, a 64-year-old resident of Janta Nagar, a 60-year-old resident of Pama village, a 58-year-old resident of Lohara, two 57-year-old residents of Jammu Colony, a 51-year-old resident of Barewal, a 50-year-old resident of Akash Nagar, a 40-year-old resident of Sahnewal, a 33-year-old resident of Doraha and a 28-year-old resident of Mahajan Vihar — were claimed by the virus.

A 76-year-old woman of Haibowal Kalan, a 62-year-old woman of Guru Nanak Nagar, a 46-year-old resident of Tajpur Road and a 40-year-old resident of Giaspura also succumbed. As many as 129 deaths have been reported in the last week with the district touching grim milestones on a daily basis. The number of daily deaths has been in double digits since April 24.

The rising number of cases has outstretched the hospital infrastructure, making it a struggle to find beds in hospital.