Covid-19 outbreak: 11 more test positive in Punjab; 6 of Banga man’s family infected

Among other fresh cases are three from Mohali and one from Amritsar and Hoshiarpur each

Eleven more persons were tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Punjab on Saturday, taking the total tally of those affected in the state to 14.

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Seven persons from the Doaba region, including six family members of the 70-year-old man of Banga in SBS district who died due to Covid-19 on Wednesday, tested positive for the disease.

Among the fresh cases reported included three from Mohali and one from Amritsar.

The family members of the septuagenarian victim include his three sons, 36-year-old daughter, 40-year-old daughter-in-law and a granddaughter aged 17.

All the members were shifted to the SBS Nagar civil hospital on Friday night from their village Pathlawa where they were kept in isolation. They are in a stable condition, the health department said.

The samples of the six family members were tested at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, while those of the Hoshiarpur man were tested at the Government Medical College (GMC), Amritsar.

Garhshankar man came in his contact

The seventh positive person is a 68-year-old man of Moranwali village in Hoshiarpur district’s Garhshankar subdivision who was in contact with the elderly victim from Banga.

After contact tracing, a health department team took him and five members of his family to the Hoshiarpur civil hospital on Thursday night. His samples were sent to the Government Medical College, Amritsar, and he was tested positive. The family members had objected to their quarantine and villagers even protested outside the civil hospital’s emergency ward on Friday demanding their release.

The family includes a two-year-old.

After preliminary examination, the five family members were sent back to their village. They have been kept in isolation at home. Hoshiarpur civil surgeon Dr Jasbir Singh said the family is under “specific observation”.

To prevent the spread of Covid-1 9, the SBS Nagar and Hoshiarpur district administrations have started pasting stickers outside the houses of suspected individuals who have been home quarantined.

The SBS Nagar deputy commissioner issued prohibitory orders on ‘home quarantine’, making violation of conditions of the quarantine a punishable offence. The DC also directed that every non-resident Indian (NRI) will be kept under 14-day home quarantine and if anyone violates the order action will be taken under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.

Amritsar patient returned from UK on March 19

The patient found positive in Amritsar is a 36-year-old man who returned from the United Kingdom three days ago. He was tested ‘positive’ in confirmatory medical tests, taking the number of confirmed coronavirus patients in Amritsar district to two.

“The 36-year old man is a resident of Guru Ki Wadali village in Amritsar district. He landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on March 19. After landing, he checked in a hotel in Delhi and called his relatives in Amritsar. He informed them that he was suffering from cough and fever and therefore instead of taking a flight to reach Amritsar, he will come by the Shatabdi Express train,” said civil surgeon Dr Prabhdeep Kaur Johal.

“The health department immediately took him to the isolation ward of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) and sent his blood and throat swab samples to the Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) at GMC, Amritsar, for testing. He is stable,” Dr Johal added.

The health department has started a drive to trace his co-passengers who were aboard the flight and the Shatabdi express train.

Dubai-returned man tests +ve in prelim scan

A Punjab-resident, who returned from Dubai two days ago, has been tested ‘positive’ for coronavirus in his preliminary test conducted at the Government Medical College Amritsar, on Saturday. “He has been admitted to the isolation ward of Guru Nanak Dev Hospital and his final report is expected to come on Sunday evening,” said Dr Sujata Sharma, principal, GMC, Amritsar.

28 medical teams for NRIs’ check-up in SBS Nagar

SBS Nagar additional deputy commissioner (ADC general) Aditya Uppal said 28 medical teams have been constituted for check-up of NRIs across the district. He said 3,749 NRIs who came to the district on Saturday.

The Hoshiarpur district administration ordered setting up of police check-points around Moranwali and no one allowed to leave the village. Police personnel have been deployed to keep a vigil on the villagers.

As many as 148 people, who came in contact of deceased have been home quarantined in three districts. Of these, 96 are from SBS Nagar, 44 from Hoshiarpur district and eight in Jalandhar.

Pathlawa village in Banga remained sealed with medical teams continuously monitoring the situation.

Markets closed in SBS Nagar, Hoshiarpur

The SBS Nagar and Hoshiarpur deputy commissioners, Vinay Bublani and Apneet Riyiat, on Saturday ordered closure of all shops, except those supplying essential commodities, in the two districts till March 25. Hospitals, banks, ATMs, medical stores, departmental stores, dairies, fruits shops, fuel stations and some other services will remain operational.

The DCs also ordered that restaurants and hotels can only provide takeaways. He directed senior superintendent of police (SSP), sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) concerned to implement the orders with an immediate effect.

A senior official in SBS Nagar said markets remained largely open despite an earlier appeal by the district administration for observe closure.