E-Paper
Covid snuffs out 8 lives in Chandigarh tricity; 1,831 positive in Mohali in new record
Five dead in Mohali, two in Panchkula and one in Chandigarh in highest single-day toll since June last year; one-year-old girl and four senior citizens among latest fatalities
Covid-19 claimed eight lives in the tricity on Sunday, its highest-single day toll since June 2021, even as Mohali reported a record high of 1,831 cases.
As many as five of the latest fatalities were reported from Mohali alone, two from Panchkula and one from Chandigarh.
A one-year-old girl from Balongi was among the casualties in Mohali. She was admitted at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh.
Two senior citizens, aged 86 and 73, residents of Phase 4 and Sector 91, respectively, died at Cheema Hospital in Phase 4.
A 64-year-old man from Dhakoli, Zirakpur, died at a hospital in Sohana, while a 59-year-old man from Dera Bassi succumbed at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
The two deceased patients in Panchkula were two men, aged 59 and 76, residents of Bhogpur village and Sector 26, respectively. The elderly man was diabetic, while the other patient had also suffered a cerebrovascular accident.
The casualty reported in Chandigarh was a 38-year-old man from Sector 25, who was brought dead at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, 16, and found positive for the virus.
With this, the total Covid-related deaths in Chandigarh have reached 1,087 – highest in the tricity. Mohali’s toll stands at 1,085, while Panchkula has recorded 384 deaths till date.
Tricity’s daily tally hits new high for fifth straight day
Apart from 1,831 cases in Mohali, 1,358 people tested positive in Chandigarh and 718 in Panchkula, taking tricity’s daily tally to 3,907, highest till date.
In some respite, Chandigarh’s daily count was lower than 1,794 cases the day before. However, Panchkula’s cases were higher than 510 on Saturday.
Since January 12, tricity’s daily cases have been hitting new records daily.
While during the second wave last year, the cases had peaked to 2,612 on May 10, the tricity surpassed that mark with 2,822 cases on January 12.
The record-breaking streak has continued since with 2,956 cases on January 13; 3,490 on January 14 and 3,802 on January 15.
At the beginning of the month, the single-day tally was 125, indicating a 31-fold spike in positive patients in the first 16 days of the month.
Two in five people tested positive in Mohali
As Mohali’s cases hit a fresh peak for the second consecutive day, after 1,497 infections on Saturday, the district’s positivity rate also soared to 41%, meaning two in every five people tested for the virus had it.
Panchkula’s positivity rate also climbed once again from 22.2% to 35% in the past 24 hours, while the figure dropped from 26.7% to 22.4% in Chandigarh, but still remained concerning for authorities.
As many as 815 cases in Mohali district surfaced in Mohali city alone, followed by 591 in Dera Bassi and 425 in Kharar.
A large chunk of the infections in Panchkula were reported from Kalka, Mansa Devi Complex, Pinjore, Sectors 10 to 21, and Sectors 2, 4, 6 and 9.
Tricity’s active cases near 20,000
With the latest infections, tricity’s active cases shot up from 18,120 on Saturday to 19,852 on Sunday, a figure last recorded during May last year, amid the peak of second wave.
Chandigarh is leading the active caseload with 9,203 patients still infected, followed by 7,804 in Mohali and 2,845 in Panchkula.
Till date, Chandigarh has reported 77,628 Covid cases, including 67,338 recoveries.
In Mohali, 79,524 have contracted the virus since the beginning of the pandemic and 70,635 have beaten it. Among 36,555 people found infected in Panchkula so far, 33,326 have been cured.
Contact rapid response teams for assistance in Chandigarh
The UT health department on Sunday released a list of emergency contact numbers (see box) where residents can get Covid-related help. The numbers belong to rapid response teams (RRT) of various government hospitals, which will handle the cases in their respective zones and visit patients’ houses in case of emergency. Each RRT comprises doctors, nurses and paramedical staff for efficient healthcare support.
Apart from these numbers, helpline 1075 is also functional at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, where also healthcare staff will remain available round the clock.
