Covid: Punjab reports 172 deaths, 5,278 fresh cases

Chandigarh, May 21

Punjab on Friday registered 172 more deaths due to Covid-19 as 5,278 fresh cases pushed the state’s infection tally to 5,28,676, according to a medical bulletin.

So far, the infection has claimed 12,888 lives in the state.

Twenty-three deaths were reported from Ludhiana, 19 each from Patiala and Bathinda and 13 from Mohali in the past 24-hours.

Ludhiana reported the maximum 687 cases, followed by 565 in Bathinda, 486 in Mohali and 380 in Patiala.

Meanwhile, 8,652 people recovered from the infection. The number of active cases also declined from 67,041 on Thursday to 63,470 on Friday, as per the bulletin.

The state’s positivity rate also dropped from 7.03 per cent on Thursday to 6.92 per cent, it said. With 8,652 recoveries, the number of cured persons reached 4,52,318.

There are 418 critical patients who are on ventilator while 7,448 are on oxygen support, the bulletin said.

A total of 85,56,117 samples have been collected for testing so far in the state, it said.

Meanwhile, Chandigarh—the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana—reported 14 coronavirus deaths and 406 fresh cases, taking its infection tally to 57,737, according to a medical bulletin.

Till now, the infection has claimed 680 lives in the Union Territory.

The number of active cases dropped from 6,073 on Thursday to 5,675, the bulletin said.

With 790 patients being discharged after recovering from the infection, the number of cured people reached 51,382, as per the bulletin.

A total of 4,77,484 samples have been taken for testing so far, of which 4,18,558 have tested negative while reports of 104 are awaited, the bulletin said. — PTI