Jalandhar/Patiala/Ludhiana/Ferozepur: Punjab on Friday reported 16 new coronavirus cases, taking the total in the state to 215. Seven cases have been reported in Jalandhar, three in Ludhiana, four in Patiala and one each in Ferozepur and Mohali.
Seven more fresh cases, including an eight-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy, were reported in Jalandhar on Friday, said Dr TPS Sandhu, district nodal officer for Covid-19. With this, the count of coronavirus patients has reached 38, including two deaths. Four patients have recovered so far.
Health officials said the new patients are mother, eight-year-old daughter and one-year-old nephew of 40-year-old patient from the Raja Garden area and 24-year-old youth, who is close contact of 55-year-old women patient from the Purani Sabzi Mandi area, 24-year-old youth of the Neelamahal area, a close contact of corona positive Congress leader and two granddaughters of a 70-year-old patient from Basti Danishmanda.
Health officials said a total 779 samples were collected till Friday in Jalandhar of which 573 tested negative and results of 153 samples are awaited. The district administration has started the sealing of the Neelamahal area in the city.
Health officials say 23 cases have been reported in the district since April 11.
{{/usCountry}}Health officials say 23 cases have been reported in the district since April 11.
{{/usCountry}}Nearly 30% of the 215 positive cases in Punjab have been reported in the Doaba region, which lies between the Beas and Sutlej rivers.
LUDHIANA ACP’S WIFE, TWO COPS INFECTED
In Ludhiana, wife of Covid-19 patient assistant commissioner of police (ACP North) tested positive while the report of their son came negative. Besides, two cops who are contacts of the ACP --- a woman sub-inspector, SHO at Basti Jodhewal police station, and a constable who was ACP’s driver --- also tested positive for the virus. The ACP’s driver, a resident of Wara Bhai Ka village, tested positive in Ferozepur.
Ferozepur deputy commissioner Kulwant Singh said the constable had returned to his native village on April 14. This is the first case to be reported in the border district. The constable lives with his parents, wife and one-and-a- half-year old son.
Besides, the report of Ludhiana district mandi officer also came positive.
FOUR CASES IN PATIALA DIST
In Patiala, four persons, including a woman, tested positive for coronavirus. With this, the district tally of Covid-19 patients has reached 11.
Patiala’s civil surgeon Dr Harish Malhotra said the positive cases include three family members of a book trader, who found positive on Thursday evening. Dr Malhotra said the samples of his 46-year-old wife and two sons (18 and 16) were taken on Thursday.
“We have initiated the process of shifting the trio to an isolation ward of government medical college. Moreover, several areas in the interior of the Patiala city have been sealed and sanitisation drive has been started,” he said.
Dr Malhotra said another 47-year-old woman from Rajpura tested positive for the virus. “The patient approached Rajpura civil hospital complaining of chest pain. The doctors attending her immediately rushed her to government medical college, where her samples were found to be positive,” he said.
The health department has started contact tracing as she did not have any travel history and never came in contact with any Covid-19 patient.
ONE MORE CASE IN NAYAGAON
A 30-year-old resident of Mohali’s Nayagaon tested positive for Covid-19, taking the count in district to 57. He was working as a safai karamchari in the Covid-19 ward of the PGIMER, Chandigarh.
61 CONTACTS OF COVID VICTIM NEGATIVE
GURDASPUR: The reports of all 61 contacts of Sansar Singh, 60, of Bhaini Paswal village of Gurdaspur district turned negative. Sansar died of the virus on Thursday at Guru Nanak Hospital, Amritsar.