No new Covid death in Ludhiana for first time in 3 months

Three days after Ludhiana recorded a six-month low of 19 deaths, as many as 40 people tested positive for Covid on Thursday, taking the district’s case count to 86,781

After three agonising months of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic raging across the district, no new Covid-induced deaths were reported in Ludhiana on Thursday.

Of the total positive cases detected so far, 84,237 patients have recovered, while 464 remain active. At present, six Covid patients are on ventilator support in Ludhiana. (Representative Image/HT File  )

The last time when the most populous district of the state reported no fresh fatalities was March 14. Gradually, as the second wave gripped the district, the number of daily deaths also started increasing, reaching an all-time high of 30 casualties a day on May 10 and May 11, when the virus was at its peak.

However, come June, both the number of daily fatalities and casualties have taken a nosedive.

Three days after the district recorded a six-month low of 19 deaths, as many as 40 people tested positive for the virus on Thursday, taking the district’s case count to 86,781.

Of the total positive cases detected so far, 84,237 patients have recovered, while 464 remain active. At present, six Covid patients are on ventilator support in the district. In a relief to health workers, the active cases remained below the 500-mark for the second consecutive day.

The last time when the active cases had been below the 500-mark was February 24, when the district had logged 495 active cases.

The fresh cases include 12 patients with influenza-like symptoms and two patients from outpatient departments. In a positive trend, the recovery rate has touched 97.59%, while the death rate has dropped to 2.41%.

No mucormycosis (black fungus) cases were reported in the district. So far, 138 cases of black fungus have been diagnosed in the district, of which 35 cases are active.

Medical services to remain affected

With the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) Association going on strike on Friday to protest against the reduction in non-practising allowance under the Sixth Pay Commission, health services will remain hit in the district on Friday.

Several services such as outpatient departments (OPDs), inpatient departments (IPDs), unique IDs for persons with disabilities (UDID), Ayushman Bharat - Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana (AB-SSBY), and elective surgeries will remain suspended.

PCMC Association member Dr Rohit Rampal said all meetings, video conferences and webinars related to all health schemes will be boycotted.

The joint forum of government doctors had called for the strike on June 23. The forum includes PCMS doctors, PCMS specialist doctors, rural medical officers, homeopathy, ayurvedic, and veterinary doctors working with government departments.