With 200 Covid-19 cases on Sunday, Panchkula district recorded the highest single-day spike since the outbreak last March. It also took the tricity’s daily tally to 870, just second to the all-time high of 889 recorded two days back.
In view of the surge, the Panchkula health authorities urged people to show “responsible” behaviour by wearing masks and avoiding gatherings.
Meanwhile, after a 53-year-old woman from Sector 7, Panchkula, succumbed to the virus on Sunday, the district’s death toll reached 155. Though the number of deaths has seen no spike so far, doctors expect a rise in the number of critical patients if the cases continue to rise at the current rate.
The numbers have been on the upswing since March, which witnessed a seven-fold increase from the February figures. The present surge is turning out to be even more serious than the first one in September last year, when the number of cases never touched the 200 mark.
The total has now climbed to 13,653, of which 1,091 cases are active, among highest in Haryana. Even as 12,407 patients have been cured and discharged, the recovery rate has dropped to 90.8% from 97.4% on March 1.
{{/usCountry}}The total has now climbed to 13,653, of which 1,091 cases are active, among highest in Haryana. Even as 12,407 patients have been cured and discharged, the recovery rate has dropped to 90.8% from 97.4% on March 1.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Jasjeet Kaur, civil surgeon, Panchkula, said: “We are focusing on testing, tracking and isolation of cases. Earlier, we were conducting around 1,000 tests per day. In the past three days, the number has been bumped up to 2,000. Our teams are also contact tracing 60-70 people every day and putting them in home isolation.”
The authorities have conducted 2.23 lakh tests to date, of which 1,721 were done in the past 24 hours.
“We are identifying clusters, like one at a school where 15 people tested positive. We are trying our best, but also need cooperation from the people,” said Dr Kaur, while urging citizens to wear masks and avoid any kind of gathering, be it a wedding, religious ceremony or other congregation.
341 new cases, 1 death in Chandigarh
A day after the Chandigarh health department termed the present wave “more infectious and virulent” that could send more people to hospitals with moderate to severe disease, the UT recorded 341 cases, highest since the first wave last September.
While the total has reached 28,194, death toll climbed to 383 after a 52-year-old woman from Sector 19 succumbed. She also had severe lung disease.
With 352 people discharged on Sunday, the number of those recovered rose to 24,661 (87.4%). The number of active cases stands at 3,150, inching towards the all-time high of 3,171 recorded on September 16.
The health authorities have conducted 3.2 lakh tests so far, including 2,738 in the past 24 hours.
Four more succumb in Mohali, 329 test +ve
Mohali district, which has been recording 300+ cases daily for nearly a month, reported 329 more on Sunday. The peak was reached two days back with 419 cases. Meanwhile, the death of four patients took the toll to 446.
As many as 28,210 patients have tested positive so far, of whom 3,592 are yet to recover, highest in the tricity. Mohali city continues to report bulk of the cases in the district, with 220 on Sunday, followed by 67 in Dhakoli and 24 in Kharar. With 262 patients being discharged, the number of those recovered has reached 24,172 (85.6%).
Amid the surge, the administration will start random sampling at all government and private schools from Monday. Deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan said samples of both teachers and students will be taken.
“Teams have been constituted under the supervision of subdivisional magistrates. To ramp up testing and contact tracing, the schedule has also been put in place to cover other targeted locations, including housing societies and service industry,” he said.