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Infected Doraha BDPO’s husband also found Covid positive
Both contracted infection from BDPO’s mother, Ludhiana district mandi officer Jasbir Kaur
A day after the Doraha block development panchayat officer (BDPO), Navdeep Kaur, tested positive for Covid-19, her husband Prabhjot Singh, a food supply official, was also confirmed to have contracted the infection, health officials confirmed on Saturday.
The BDPO’s husband is the eighth government employee to have contracted the disease in Ludhiana where the total number of cases have now climbed to 21.
Firstly BDPO’s mother, district mandi officer (DMO) Jasbir Kaur, 57, had tested positive on April 16, following which her primary contacts, the BPDO, 35, and her husband, 39, have also been found infected. Reports of 20 more contacts, including the BDPO’s domestic help and driver, are awaited.
All three patients are admitted at the Ludhiana civil hospital.
Deputy commissioner (DC) Pradeep Agrawal said till Saturday, 1,559 samples had been collected in the district, of which 21 were found positive, 1,292 were negative and reports of 245 were pending. Among the positive patients, 18 are from Ludhiana and three from other districts.
The disease has claimed five lives in the district. Besides, six patients (five from Ludhiana and one from Jalandhar) have recovered, leaving 10 active cases.
25-YEAR-OLD ARRESTED FOR SNATCHING RECOVERS
Saurav Sehgal, 25, who was arrested for snatching on April 5, has become the sixth patient in the district to recover from Covid-19. He was admitted at the civil hospital.
Sehgal’s infection was detected after a doctor posted at the Ludhiana Central Jail noticed his symptoms when he was taken there for judicial custody post his arrest. He has now been granted bail by court.
Sehgal had tested positive on April 9. His symptoms were cough and fever.
Meanwhile, his accomplice Navjot Singh, who had escaped from police custody, was nabbed on Saturday. He has been isolated in the isolation ward of the civil hospital.
Following detection of Sehgal’s infection, 17 policemen were placed under quarantine, including Focal Point SHO and in-charge of the Jeevan Nagar police post.
From inspectors to constables, the accused was handled by police personnel encompassing various ranks following his arrest.
FIRST BATCH OF PILGRIMS STRANDED IN NANDED TO REACH CITY
The deputy commissioner said the Punjab government had sent buses to bring back pilgrims stranded at Nanded in Maharashtra. Among them were 174 residents of Ludhiana district. The first batch of 54 pilgrims will reach the district by Sunday.
Upon their arrival, they will be screened by the health department, which will be followed by home quarantine for 14 days.
