7 die of virus, 896 new cases in Haryana

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 18

An employee in the CM Office and six employees of the first floor of police headquarters in Panchkula were among the 896 fresh cases in Haryana today.

It is the highest-ever number of cases in 24 hours. The cumulative Covid tally in the state reached 48,936.

The police staff who tested positive included a private secretary and telephone attendant in the DGP office. “The Haryana DGP’s office in the Police Headquarters, Panchkula, will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday. This has been done following six police personnel working there testing positive out of 10 who took the test on Monday. So far, no officer has tested positive,” said a police PRO.

After some employees tested positive in Siksha Sadan in Sector 5, Panchkula, Director Secondary Education J Ganesan issued an order today that all officials of his department would work from home till August 21 except Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent, along with a clerk or data entry operator.

In Rohtak, Deputy Commissioner RS Verma tested positive for Covid.

Seven deaths were also reported today, which included four from Karnal and one each from Panipat, Rohtak, Faridabad.

In Karnal, a 67-year-old woman of Indri died in Mohali while a 55-year-old woman of Kachwa village, undergoing cancer treatment, and a 60-year-old liquor contractor of Baldi village were among the casualties. A 63-year-old male from Ahirwada in Faridabad succumbed to the viral disease.