Coronavirus claims 4th life in India, Punjab records its first death

According the ministry website the latest death has been reported from the Indian state of Punjab that had two positive cases of covid-19.

The health ministry website on Thursday evening updated the number of deaths due to coronavirus in the country to four from three reported till late Thursday afternoon. According to the ministry website, the latest death has been reported from Punjab which had two positive cases of covid-19. The total number of infected cases in the country has jumped to 167 as per the latest data released by the ministry.

The other three deaths were reported from Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra. (AP photo)

The other three deaths were reported from Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

The fourth victim is said to be a 70-year-old man who had arrived from Germany via Italy at Delhi airport on March 7 before heading to Punjab on the same day. He was a known case of diabetes and hypertension and was confirmed as COVID positive only yesterday.

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The details of the fourth victim, however, have not been confirmed officially yet.

Punjab became the first state in the country to announce a ban on public transport from Friday to cut down on the chances of community transmission of the disease that has killed over 8000 people globally.

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has also urged the Central government to allow private hospitals and labs to conduct covid-19 tests.

The first victim to die of coronavirus was a 76-year-old man from Karnataka’s Kalburgi who succumbed on Tuesday last while being transported from one hospital to another.

It was followed by death of a 68-year-old woman from Delhi, she had picked up the infection from her son who had returned from abroad and the third death was reported from Mumbai two days ago on March 17, when a 64-year old succumbed to the disease at Kasturba Hospital in the city.