Coronavirus: Punjab reports four deaths, 104 new cases; toll rises to 75 from over 3,300 infections

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh/Sangrur, June 16

Punjab reported 104 new coronavirus cases and four more deaths within span of 24 hours since Monday, the state’s official health bulletin showed on Tuesday.

Amritsar reported three of the four deaths and Ludhiana reported one.

Sangrur also reported one death, but this has not been taken into account in the state’s COVID tally on Tuesday.

In Amritsar, a 49-year-old man from Haripura, a 51-year-old woman from Bhushanpura locality and 66-year-old resident of Ajit Nagar died.

The woman had suffered from hypertension, while the man from Haripura was diabetic and had hypertension.

An ex-serviceman from Ludhiana’s Mansuran village died at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital. He had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday and was on ventilator.

Medical Superintendent of DMCH, Dr Ashwani Chaudhary said he was diabetic and had had heart problems.

In Sangrur, a man who was diabetic and had hypertension died at the COVID care centre at Ghabdan.

The development takes the state’s coronavirus count to 3,371.  The death toll now stands at 75.

Jalandhar and Ludhiana together accounted for more than half of Tuesday’s cases. Jalandhar reported 31 cases on Tuesday and Ludhiana reported 22.

Patiala (9), Amritsar (9), Pathankot (6), SAS Nagar (4), Kapurthala (4), Sangrur (4), Hoshiarpur (3), Fazilka (3), Gurdaspur (2), Faridkot (1),Ferozepur (1), Tarn Taran (1), and Fategarh Sahib (1) made up the rest of Punjab’s numbers on Tuesday, the state’s COVID bulletin showed.

Of the new cases, 12 had travel history to other states, 12 were categorised as ILI (influenza-like illness), one was a case of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and significant proportion—over 50 cases— were categorised as new cases with no contact history.

Thirty of Jalandhar’s 31 COVID-19 infections were categorised as new cases. One was a contact of an already reported case.

In Jalandhar, five police personnel posted at the Punjab Armed Police campus tested positive. The others who tested positive are people from different localities of the city and satellite towns, including Shahkot.

Of Ludhiana’s 22 new cases, 13 were contacts of already diagnosed cases, three had travel history, and two were categorised as ILI (influenza-like illness). The last one was a policeman testing positive. Ludhiana’s has over 400 cases now.

Five of those who tested positive were from Chawni Mohalla—a containment zone.

Three people were from Sanhewal. Habib Ganj, Daba Lohara Road, Islamia school Road also reported positive cases.

A 52-year-old sub-inspector from Shimlapuri police station tested positive. He reported he had fever. He had recently travelled to Delhi.

Of Amritsar’s nine, three were contacts of already diagnosed patients, six were categorised as ILI.

In Kapurthala, two prison inmates were among four positive cases.

The district-wise breakup for COVID-19 in Punjab stands as follows: Amritsar (642), Ludhiana (409), Jalandhar (378), SAS Nagar (179), Patiala (178), Gurdaspur (171), Tarn Taran (169), Hoshiarpur (144),  SBS Nagar (121), Sangrur (162), Pathankot (151), Faridkot (88), Ropar (82), Fatehgarh Sahib (78), Muktsar (73), Moga (71), Bathinda (57), Fazilka (53), Ferozepur (52),  Kapurthala (45), Mansa (34), and Barnala (31).    

The state’s death toll stands thus: Amritsar (24), Ludhiana (11), Jalandhar (10), Hoshiarpur (5), Pathankot (5), Gurdaspur (3), SAS Nagar (3), Kapurthala (3), Patiala (2), Tarn Taran (1), SBS Nagar (1), Ferozepur (1), Ropar (1), and Barnala (1).

Amritsar, Ludhiana and Jalandhar account for 42 per cent of Punjab’s cases and 60 per cent of its deaths.

Punjab has been seeing a steady rise in coronavirus cases in June. The state reported 32 per cent of the state’s 3,371 cases in June alone.  

Punjab now 838 active cases—more than thrice the number at the end of May.