State reports first casualty

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ambala, April 2

Haryana reported its first Covid death today with a 67-year-old resident of Ambala Cantonment succumbing to the deadly virus at the PGI in Chandigarh last night.

The deceased was suffering from severe acute respiratory illness and died before his sample report confirming the infection was received at 11:45 pm, said Dr Kuldeep Singh, Ambala Civil Surgeon.

He said the patient reported at the Civil Hospital in Ambala Cantonment on Tuesday with acute respiratory illness and pneumatic symptoms. He said the patient was given medical aid before being shifted to the PGI in a critical condition.

The patient had undergone cardiac bypass surgery and was also suffering from diabetes and chronic kidney ailment, stated Dr Singh.

He said since the patient’s condition continued to deteriorate, the PGI took his sample for Covid testing at 1:15 pm yesterday and the report was received at 11:45 pm, before which he had died.

Official information revealed that the patient used to visit a gurdwara daily even during the lockdown. He had organised a religious congregation at his house in a congested locality on March 20 on the death anniversary of his mother, which was attended by a number of people.

He had held another religious congregation at his house on February 21, in which several persons from the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Australia, besides locals, participated. His daughter-in-law, working with a bank in Patiala, dealt with NRI accounts and used to commute daily between Ambala and Patiala.

Following the death, the area housing his residence was sealed. Health officials took samples of eight contacts, including four family members and the maid, while four or five contacts were being traced.

State tracker

• Total persons under surveillance 15,742
• Currently under surveillance 14,703
• Hospitalised 227
• Persons completing surveillance 1039
• Samples for testing 1,102
• Negative samples 885
• Results awaited 283
• Persons discharged 13
• Positive cases 35
• Total deaths 1