3 health workers among 14 test +ve in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 23

With 14 fresh Covid-19 cases coming to the fore today, the total number of cases in the state has reached 2,043.

As per the media bulletin released this morning, seven cases were reported from Ludhiana, three each from Jalandhar and Patiala and one from Bathinda.

Of the seven cases in Ludhiana, six are jawans of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and a 28-year-old woman from Gurpal Nagar, who had returned from Delhi on May 18.

Till now, nine RPF jawans posted in the city have tested positive, while another 48 of a Delhi-based battalion were infected. They had come to Ludhiana to ensure smooth flow of trains carrying migrants back home.

In Patiala, three new cases are of an ASHA worker, a Mumbai returnee and a combine operator, who returned from Uttar Pradesh. All patients have been shifted to the isolation ward of Government Rajindra Hospital.

Civil Surgeon Dr Harish Malhotra said while the combine operator was already quarantined, the ASHA worker was tested during a random sampling of health workers.

Muktsar district got one positive case after managing to remain virus-free. A CISF constable posted at a Metro station in Delhi, originally belonging to Muktsar’s Mahnikhera village, was tested positive today. Health officials said till last evening, all 66 patients were cured and discharged.

With four new patients, Jalandhar tally has reached 213. Two of the new patients are nurses aged 22 and 27. Both belonged to Hoshiarpur and Gursdapur. They got infected while attending to Covid patients.

As per the Health Department, so far samples of 63,567 suspected cases were sent for testing. Of these, 57,899 were found negative and reports of 3,623 were awaited. The state now has just 157 active cases.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday said all those coming to the state, including via domestic flights, trains and buses, would have to undergo compulsory home quarantine for 14 days.

Screening of those entering the state would be done at all state and district border entry points, as well as railway stations and airports, and those found symptomatic would be sent into institutional quarantine, while the others would have to undergo mandatory two-week home quarantine, the Chief Minister said during his live session on Facebook.

Rapid testing teams would check on home-quarantined persons, while those found symptomatic would have to undergo thorough testing in hospitals, said Capt Amarinder.