E-Paper
Mohali clocks 501 Covid cases, tricity breaches 900 mark
The previous all-time high for both was recorded on April 2, with 419 an 889 cases, respectively; Chandigarh records 285 cases and Panchkula 124
The tricity continues to reach new grim milestones in the second Covid-19 wave, as 910 people tested positive on Monday, highest since the outbreak last March.
Mohali district, which has been contributing bulk of the cases, also breached the 500 mark for the first time. The previous all-time high for both was recorded on April 2, with 889 and 419 cases, respectively.
On Monday, Mohali reported 501 cases, followed by 285 in Chandigarh and 124 in Panchkula district.
With 300+ cases surfacing daily for the past one month, Mohali district’s total has surged to 28,711, of which 3,814 cases are active, highest in the tricity.
On Monday, the district also reported four more casualties, which took the death toll to 450. Just five days into this month, the district has recorded 2,018 cases and 17 deaths, as compared to 6,315 and 48, respectively, in March.
Mohali city accounts for most of the cases, with 386 surfacing on Monday, followed by 42 in Dera Bassi, 32 in Kharar and 26 in Dhakoli. Meanwhile, with 275 patients being discharged, the number of those cured climbed to 24,447, though the recovery rate has dropped to 85%.
“The transmission rate of UK strain of the virus is quite high and it is spreading fast among youngsters,” said Dr Adarshpal Kaur, civil surgeon, Mohali, while urging people to take precautions and come forward for vaccination.
One fatality each in Chandigarh, Panchkula
An 85-year-old woman from Manimajra and 59-year-old woman from Barwala succumbed to the virus on Monday, taking Chandigarh’s and Panchkula’s death toll to 384 and 156, respectively.
The two districts have reported only four and two deaths, respectively, this month, though experts warn the impact of the present surge will be seen in terms of fatalities in the coming weeks.
The number of cases in Chandigarh has gone up to 28,479. While 25,033 (88%) patients have recovered, 3,062 cases are still active.
In Panchkula, 13,777 (91%) people have tested positive, of whom 12,577 have recovered and 1,044 are still undergoing treatment.
“A strict lockdown would be a harsh step but dealing with this situation requires restricted movement of people,” said Dr GD Puri, head of Covid-19 management committee at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research.
He said social distancing should be strictly implemented in public transport, restaurants should be allowed only takeaways and apni mandis and other events where crowding takes place should be restricted. “In offices, wearing of masks should be religiously followed,” he said.
Covid care centre reopened at Sood Dharamshala
With active cases going beyond 3,000 and bed occupancy in hospitals reaching 50%, the Chandigarh health department has reopened the Covid Care Centre with a capacity of around 200 beds at Sood Dharamshala in Sector 22.
Dr Jasbinder Kaur, director-principal, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, said staff has been deputed for the centre.
Kaur said facilities at GMCH are also being ramped up to deal with the surge. “When the need arises, we will press into service around 40 ventilators with a sufficient number of beds for moderate cases as well,” she said.
At the PGIMER, out of 300 beds, including those with ventilators, 180 are occupied.
“There is a huge influx of patients from Punjab and Haryana. Of every 10 patients reporting at the trauma centre, two to three test positive, who are also treated here,” said Dr Vipin Kaushal, medical superintendent of the Covid-19 hospital at PGIMER.
