Mohali city accounts for dist’s 70% cases over last fortnight

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 5

Mohali city has seen 70 per cent of the Covid-19 cases that have surfaced from the district in the past 15 days.

Of the 2,088 cases reported from the Mohali, Kharar and Dera Bassi sub-divisions in the past fortnight, 1,455 cases have been reported from Mohali city alone. The recovery rate in the district has declined from 90 per cent to 84 per cent in the same period, compounding the problem. The number of active cases had also spiked from 1,154 to 2,280.

Of 100 fresh cases reported from the district on Saturday, 66 were from Mohali city. The district also recorded two fatalities, taking the toll to 290.

During a random survey of the markets in the city and other places in the district, it was found that people were moving without a mask, thus exposing themselves to the deadly virus. The health authorities have been warning people not to move out without a mask.

According to rough estimates, around 30 per cent people moved out of their house without wearing a mask during the festive season in the markets.

Nodal Officer Dr Harmandeep Kaur said spike in Covid cases was due to the non-implementation of social distancing norms, especially during the recent festival season.

She said people in Mohali city have stopped wearing masks and exercising caution. In villages, social distancing was maintained and even people were taking precautions.

The district administration had already imposed night curfew in the district from December 1 in view of the spike in Covid cases. The administration had also doubled the penalty for not wearing a mask and spitting in public places from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000. Any violations shall invite criminal proceedings under relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the IPC, 1860.