Covid claims another life, Chandigarh health dept advises caution
The elderly patient, who was a resident of Sector 14, passed away at GMSH, Sector 16, Chandigarh, on Sunday; he had a history of coronary artery disease, respiratory illness, hypertension and kidney problems
A day after an 88-year-old man became the latest Covid-19 fatality in Chandigarh, the health department came out with an advisory on Monday, cautioning residents to strictly adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour to avoid another surge in cases.
The elderly patient, who was a resident of Sector 14, passed away at GMSH-16 on Sunday. He had a history of coronary artery disease, respiratory illness, hypertension and kidney problems.
This was the first fatality in the city since the death of a 92-year-old man from Sector 15 on February 21, a first in around six months. The patient was also suffering from prostate cancer with metastasis and pneumonia and passed away at a private hospital in Mohali.
Eight-fold rise in active cases in three weeks
In terms of cases, five fresh Covid-19 infections surfaced in the city on Monday. This pushed the active cases to 33, an over eight-fold jump from four active cases on March 6, three weeks ago .
The patients, including three males and two females, are residents of Sectors 11, 28, 33, 38 West and PGIMER campus.
As per the health department, the daily positivity rate — number of samples testing positive — was 2.04% on Monday, lower than the national daily positivity rate of 3.19%.
A total of 245 samples were tested over the past 24 hours and five turned out positive.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020, Chandigarh has reported a total of 99,428 cases, of which 98,212 patients have recovered and 1,183 have died.
‘Wear masks in public’
As per the advisory issued by the health department, residents have been advised to start wearing masks in public, especially in crowded and enclosed spaces. Within healthcare facilities, doctors, paramedics and other healthcare workers, as well as patients and their attendants, should also wear masks.
The department has recommended to cover the nose and mouth with a tissue or handkerchief when sneezing or coughing and to dispose of used tissues in closed bins right away. The advisory emphasises the importance of frequent hand washing with soap and water or the use of alcohol-based hand rubs. Even if hands look clean, washing them is still necessary.
Individuals with respiratory illnesses should minimise contact with others. If one experiences symptoms like fever, cough, or breathing difficulties, they must report the symptoms to a doctor and undergo Covid testing.