Amritsar district records single-day spike of 43 Covid-19 cases; count 1,213 now

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 17

The district witnessed a spike of 43 fresh cases on Friday, taking the total number of positive cases to 1,213.

Meanwhile, city residents and health officials took a sigh of relief as no casualty due to the virus was reported in the district and the death toll remained at 59.

Of the new cases, 27 are influenza-like illness (ILI) cases and 16 are contacts of Covid positive patients. One ILI case each was reported from Gharinda, Chatiwind, Nangali Bhatha, Nangali Verka, Gobind Nagar, Azad Nagar, Chora Bazar in Gobind Nagar area, Maheka, Thathian, Gadli, Rajesh Nagar, Chowki Wali Gali Khalsa College, Ghanupurkale, Ajnala, Bahoru, Transport Nagar, Fateh Singh Colony, Circular Road, Sundar Nagar, Jaspal Nagar, Bharat Nagar, New Abadi Ratan Singh Chowk, Krishna Square, Malakpur, Ganda Singh Wala on the Majitha road and two from Lodhi Baba Bakala.

Five contacts of Covid patients were detected from Shastri Nagar Lawrence road, three contacts from Jandiala Guru, two contacts each from Gali number five in Shariffpura area, Shariffpura area, Majitha Road and Sultanwind Gate. So far, 965 patients have been discharged and there are 189 active cases in the district.

Rural police to deploy 100 cops in Covid reserve

After the Punjab government ordered creation of Special Covid-19 reserves to tighten the noose around violators of safety norms, the Amritsar Rural police have freed around 100 cops from non-essential duties for the purpose.

The DGP had directed all district police chiefs, including SSPs and Commissioners of Police, to withdraw 50 per cent of the cops on attachment with the Central police office (CPO) immediately and deploy them to enforce guidelines to check the spread of the coronavirus. The police personnel have been asked to report to their parent unit concerned by Saturday morning.

The decision has been taken in view of the rise in cases of violation of Covid safety norms. Though the police had been registering cases against violators, people continued to flout norms.

Amritsar Rural SSP Vikram Jeet Duggal said around 100 cops had been withdrawn from the district police office and they would be deputed in the field to ensure implementation of the safety norms. Similarly, the city police are also in the process of withdrawing the cops attached with CPOs.

2 new cases in Tarn Taran

Tarn Taran: A Medical Officer posted at the Community Health Centre, Ghariala, in the district tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. The patient has been admitted to the Civil Hospital. A town resident also tested positive. The two new cases took the district Covid tally to 18 on Friday. — OC