Amid Covid cases’ downward trajectory in the tricity, the rising deaths continue to remain a cause of worry.
On Friday, even as the daily cases dropped further to 217 after 236 on Thursday, five more people succumbed to the virus – three in Chandigarh, and one each in Mohali and Panchkula. The tricity had recorded three deaths each for the past three days after nine on February 7. As many as 56 people have died in the tricity since the beginning of February, compared to 112 in entire January.
All three deceased patients in Chandigarh were senior citizens, including two men, aged 75 and 65, and an 80-year-old woman.
The patient youngest among them was a resident of Sector 22. He was fully vaccinated against the virus, but suffering from diabetes.
The other two were brought dead at GMCH, Sector 32, and later found positive for the virus.
Both the woman, a resident of Sector 45, and the man, who lived in Sector 29, were hypertension and diabetes patients, and not vaccinated.
The patient, who died in Mohali, was a 53-year-old unvaccinated man from Sohana. He was also diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Panchkula’s latest fatality was a 42-year-old man from Parwala. He was also not immunised and suffering from decompensated liver cirrhosis.
Meanwhile, Chandigarh logged 95 cases on Friday, Mohali 81 and Panchkula 41. With more recoveries, tricity’s active cases decreased from 1,952 to 1,728 in the past 24 hours.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Chandigarh logged 95 cases on Friday, Mohali 81 and Panchkula 41. With more recoveries, tricity’s active cases decreased from 1,952 to 1,728 in the past 24 hours.
{{/usCountry}}Both Mohali and Panchkula recorded a positivity rate of 5%, while it was 3.3% in Chandigarh.
PGI to no longer test asymptomatic OPD, surgery patients
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has decided to do away with Covid testing of asymptomatic patients before admission, surgeries and other procedures.
Symptomatic patients, however, will continue to be tested and isolated as per extant guidelines, as decided by the hospital infection control committee.
The committee also set CT (cycle threshold) value of less than or equal to 33 as the cut-off to consider a patient negative before discharge or transfer from the Covid ward.
PGIMER will resume its walk-in registrations at outpatient departments from February 14 (Monday). Initially, the registrations will be open from 8am to 9am only. Also, patients can register for tele-consultations between 9.30am and 10.30am.
Director Dr Surjit Singh said, “In view of the decrease in Covid-19 cases, the institute has decided to scale up physical elective outpatient services. But I request the public visiting the OPDs to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. The fight against the virus is still on and large gatherings can lead to spread of infection.”