Covid positivity rate in Ludhiana at 8-month high, reaches 9.13%

Nitin Jain & Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 7

The Covid positivity rate, a key indicator of the virus surge, on Friday breached the eight-month high to reach a whopping 9.13 per cent in Ludhiana district, the administration has confirmed. The hit rate has recorded over nine-time rise within just three weeks from nil positivity recorded in the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, on December 14, the official figures have revealed.

DCSPEAK

Health facilities have been strengthened to ensure timely treatment of all needy Covid patients. Those facing any flu-like symptoms are advised to get themselves tested and get treated. — VARINDER KUMAR SHARMA, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER

On Friday, 345 fresh Covid cases, including 324 locals and 21 outsiders, were reported in Ludhiana, which were also a seven-month high after 416 daily virus patients registered here on May 28 last. The fresh cases included 11 international travellers, including 10 from Italy and another from Dubai, and 22 healthcare workers, which included three from Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, nine from Christian Medical College and Hospital and remaining 10 were from the government hospitals.

The count of active cases crossed the 1,000-mark and reached 1,119, including 1,097 locals and 22 outsiders, which surpassed the six-month high of 1,113 active cases recorded in the district on June 15. Besides, 1,064 virus patients were asked to isolate themselves at their homes.

However, no fresh Covid death or highly transmissible Omicron variant case was reported in Ludhiana on Friday. Ten international travellers, who returned back from Italy had tested positive for Covid at Amritsar international airport on Thursday. Though the Health Department had made all the arrangements for their institutional quarantine, they were sent home directly and have been isolated at their respective homes.

“All international travellers have been isolated at their respective homes and our teams are monitoring them. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing and the samples of their contacts have also been taken. In case samples of any of these travellers turn out to be of Omicron variant then they will be brought into institutional quarantine,” said Civil Surgeon, Dr SP Singh.

The sudden spike in the hit rate has ringed alarm bells in the industrial capital of the state, which had suffered the most during the deadly second Covid wave by losing maximum lives and leaving the highest number of persons ill. Friday’s positivity rate was highest after 10.75 per cent recorded in the district on May 13 when Ludhiana was battling the worst-ever second virus wave. The steep rise in the hit rate from nil on December 14 to 9.13 per cent on January 7 has turned the situation grim once again.

In the past fortnight only, the positivity rate skyrocketed from just 0.06 per cent on December 24 last to 9.13 per cent on January 7. The hit rate has been on the rise since December 28 from 0.14 per cent to 0.24 per cent on December 29, 0.58 per cent on December 30, 0.71 per cent on December 31, 1.37 on January 1, 1.55 per cent on January 2, 3.4 per cent on January 3, 3.46 per cent on January 4, 6.99 per cent on January 5, 8.69 on January 6 and settling at 9.13 per cent on January 6.

Similarly, the active case count also shot up from mere 10 on October 2 to a whopping 1,119 on January 6, which was highest after 1,133 active cases registered here on June 15. The speed with which the active cases were rising was evident from the fact that there were only 80 active Covid patients in the district on December 31 last, which went up to 11 on January 1, further rising to 144 on January 2, 198 January 3, 294 January 4, 490 January 5, 776 January 6, and entering four-digit

However, the daily sampling further went up to 3,547 on Friday. On Friday, 55 patients, including 33 locals and 22 outsiders, were admitted to various private and government hospitals. While four locals were recuperating at government facilities, 29 locals and 22 outsiders were under treatment at various private institutions in the district.

Meanwhile, the recovery rate of virus patients further dipped to 97.58 per cent on Friday. Till date, a total of 30,27,062 samples have been taken, of which 29,26,293 samples were found negative. The total number of patients related to Ludhiana was 88,863 while 11,927 patients belonged to other districts/ states. Total number of persons who lost their lives to Covid included 2,120 from Ludhiana and 1,065 outsiders.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.