In tricity’s highest daily death toll since the second wave, 11 people succumbed to Covid-19 on Saturday.
Mohali alone recorded five deaths, the third time during the ongoing third wave, while Chandigarh and Panchkula lost three residents each. Their cumulative toll was tricity’s highest since June 2, 2021, when 14 people had died.
All five deceased in Mohali were senior citizens, including three women and two men.
The eldest among them, a 78-year-old man from Sector 61, died at Indus Hospital in Phase 3B2.
Three patients, a 61-year-old man from Zirakpur, and two women, aged 65 and 60, from Kharar, were admitted at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh.
The fifth patient, a 62-year-old woman from Kharar, breathed her last at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
According to Dr Girish Dogra, nodal officer for Covid-19 in Mohali, most of these patients had other health complications.
Two of the three deceased in Chandigarh were also senior citizens. Among them, a 74-year-old man, from Sector 38, was fully vaccinated, while a 76-year-old woman, from Sector 20, had received only the first dose. Both were also suffering from diabetes, hypertension and respiratory distress, and breathed their last at PGIMER.
The third victim, a 27-year-old woman, who lived in Dhanas, was brought dead at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, and later found positive for Covid. She had also received only the first jab.
{{/usCountry}}The third victim, a 27-year-old woman, who lived in Dhanas, was brought dead at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, and later found positive for Covid. She had also received only the first jab.
{{/usCountry}}Those who died in Panchkula were two senior citizens, a 99-year-old man from Sector 20 and a 65-year-old woman from Sector 12, and a 58-year-old man from Mansa Devi Complex.
While the elderly patients had diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease, the third patient was suffering from chronic inflammatory lung disease.
With this, tricity’s toll in January has reached 101, nearly 15 times higher than the seven deaths in December last.
At 47, Mohali has recorded the highest deaths in this period, followed by 35 in Chandigarh and 19 in Panchkula.
Dr Sanjeev Palta, nodal officer, ICU management, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, said, “People are not dying primarily due to Covid infection. Their comorbidities worsen their complications, which are the main cause of death. Also, most victims are elderly.”
Dr Suman Singh, director, health services, Chandigarh, added that around 40% of people dying in the city were not vaccinated against Covid. “Despite door-to-door drive and awareness camps, people are still hesitant in getting jabbed. Its due to vaccination that the severity of infections has lowered in the third wave, which has further contributed to lesser fatalities, compared to the second wave. Hence, people must get fully vaccinated at the earliest.”
Tricity’s daily cases dip to 1,168
Tricity’s daily Covid-19 cases continued to recede for the ninth consecutive day, as 1,168 people tested positive for the virus, against 1,451 the day before.
After peaking to 3,907 on January 16, the daily tally had remained around 3,000 till January 22. But thereon, the cases have steadily declined.
On Saturday, Mohali reported 605 fresh infections, down from 693 on Friday. A total of 321 were found infected in Chandigarh, compared to 399 a day before, while the tally dropped from 359 to 242 in Panchkula in the same period.
The decline in cases also helped lower tricity’s active caseload, which now stands at 11,074.
At 5,880, Mohali has the highest number of positive patients, followed by Chandigarh with 3,819 and Panchkula with 1,375.
However, the positivity rate didn’t record a significant decline. From 8.6% on Friday, it came down to 7.3% in Chandigarh. In Panchkula, it was still hovering around 18% and in Mohali, too, only a 1% change was seen from 21% a day ago.
36 people on ventilator support in UT hospitals
According to the health bulletin, of the total 1,274 oxygen beds in Chandigarh’s government and private hospitals, 317 are currently occupied by locals and residents of other states. A total of 39 of the 239 ventilator or ICU beds are also occupied.
Curbs in four more areas
The Chandigarh administration declared four new containment zones in the city on Saturday. The affected areas are located in Sectors 33-A, 34-D, 43-B and 49-B (Nirwana Society). Deputy commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said regular screening and monitoring will be conducted in these areas by medical teams, and frequent sanitisation will be carried out by the municipal staff. “Residents are advised to strictly follow social distancing norms, wear masks and take care of hand hygiene,” he said.