Coronavirus: Punjab reports six cases; tally now stands at 176

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 13

Punjab has reported six coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, taking the number of cases in the state to 176.

Jalandhar and Pathankot each reported two cases, while SAS Nagar and Ludhiana each reported one.

Besides, one patient is critical and two are on oxygen support in the state.

Ludhiana’s Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) has tested positive for coronavirus and is currently on ventilator. What is worrying authorities more is that ACP (N) Anil Kumar Kohli was on duty at Ludhiana’s sabzi mandi, where people come in large numbers, in the last week of March.

Kohli began to show symptoms of fever and cough in the beginning of April, and was admitted to SPS Hospital on April 8.

His first swabs sent four days ago tested negative, but samples sent on Sunday came back positive, authorities said. This takes the number of positive cases in Ludhiana district to 11.

The officer’s test report sent health authorities scrambling to isolate people who came in contact with him over the past few days.

People who visited him in the hospital have also had their swab samples tested, officials said.

“Thirteen close contact of the ACP, including his staff and security, have been quarantined and his wife and son have been sent into isolation and samples have been collected. We are further exploring the contacts of the ACP to know the source of contract. It is too early to say that he got infected from sabzi mandi. We are tracing all the possible contacts and trying to find the source,” said Civil Surgeon Dr Rajesh Bagga.

SPS Hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr Rajiv Kundra said that officer was admitted to the hospital with a high fever, cough and breathing difficulties.

“His condition worsened on Saturday and was put on ventilator. He is still on ventilator,” said Dr Kundra.

Meanwhile, both cases from Pathankot and one from SAS Nagar were contacts of those already diagnosed with the infection.

Jalandhar reported two more cases--- taking the number of cases in the district to 24. While a 25-year-old resident of Lal Bazaar who tested positive is related to an already diagnosed patient in the city’s Mitha Bazar, a 40-year-old resident of Raja Garden appears to be a new case.

Some 17 of the total Jalandhar’s 24 coronavirus cases have no contact history.

A person working at Lovely Professional University in Kapurthala’s Phagwara was brought dead to the civil hospital, officials said---a development that comes a day after a student from the institution tested positive.

Nodal officer Dr. TP Singh said they had sent samples from the patient for testing.

“The patient was admitted to a private hospital today from where he was brought to the civil hospital,” he said.

Punjab has recorded 12 deaths from coronavirus.

The bulletin said 3,858 swabs of the 4480 sent for testing came back negative. Authorities are awaiting results for 446 suspected cases.

The state has 139 active cases, with one person who is critical and on ventilator support.

Meanwhile, Pathankot reported six more positive cases on Monday evening, taking the district total to 22. These new cases have yet to be added to the official list.

Tanker union of LPG plant, oil depots in Bathinda go on strike

The Tanker Union of the LPG plants and oil depots in Bathinda went on a strike on Monday.

Bittu Pardhan, president, Tanker Union said: “One week ago, we had given a letter to the depot manager in which we demanded that as tankers are also coming from Jalandhar, Nawashehar and Sangrur, where cases of COVID-19 have been reported, we should maintain social-distancing and take precautions.”

Bittu said they had also demanded insurance from the company as they were working during an emergency.

He alleged that on Monday, tankers from Bathinda, Jalandhar, Nawashehar and Sangrur came in and no insurance was provided by the company. He also demanded that the administration should take strict action against the depot manager for not taking any action on their letter and putting their lives in danger.

12 contacts of COVID patient tested coronavirus negative in Muktsar

After an 18-year-old-boy, who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation, tested coronavirus positive in Muktsar district on April 8,  health department officials managed to trace 25 of his contacts, including one in Haryana. Twelve of them have tested negative and the reports of 12 others are awaited.

The samples of the remaining 12 people were taken on Sunday and they have been admitted to the isolation ward of a COVID hospital here.

Meanwhile, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), who used to go to the local mosque, where a COVID patient was staying, has been tested coronavirus negative.

A 50-year-old woman from Khudian Gulab Singh village, having symptoms of COVID-19, was tested coronavirus negative yesterday.

Baisakhi celebrations at Takht Damdama Sahib will be a low key affair this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. An 'Akhand path' would be held on Monday.

However, the thousands of devotees, who throng the Takth to pay obeisance on Baisakhi at Talwandi Sabo, are missing this year.

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