10 more test positive, Punjab count 57

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 3

With 10 fresh cases reported today, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has reached 57.

As per the Health Department’s media bulletin, three cases have been reported from Amritsar, two from SAS Nagar, and one from Ludhiana. Besides, three from Mansa and one from Ropar have tested positive.

The persons from Mansa, had returned from the Markaz at Nizamuddin in Delhi and were quarantined at a mosque in Budhlada subdivision for the past some days. They tested positive today.

According Amritsar district health officials, the worrying fact was that it was for the first time a Covid positive case had come to light with the patient not having any travel history and it was still uncertain how he contracted the disease. In all, three cases came positive today in Amritsar.

According to Amritsar Civil Surgeon Dr Prabhdeep Kaur Johal, two other cases were in contact with Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa who died of a cardiac arrest on Wednesday. He was in the isolation ward at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital.

She said an elderly relative of former Hazoori Ragi of Golden Temple and one of his associates was found to be Covid positive. Their reports were received today. The reports of three of his relatives were still awaited while reports of five other associates and relatives were negative. She said areas and houses of the affected persons were quarantined and sanitised.

The third patient was a shopkeeper. It is yet to be ascertained how he contracted the deadly virus. This has alarmed the district administration and health authorities here. He has no travel history while no guest from abroad had visited him. “This is apparently the first case of Punjab with no relevant history,” she pointed out. His family members have also been put in quarantine and samples are being taken for testing.

Two other cases are from SAS Nagar with history of attending Jamaat event at Delhi. One person from Ludhiana also reported positive and is admitted to a hospital.

A 55-year-old resident of Ropar village also tested for Covid at a hospital in Chandigarh today. The patient was admitted to Government Multi Speciality Hospital, Sector 16, for treatment of hypertension and diabetes. Ropar Deputy Commissioner Sonali Giri said the patient was admitted to GMSH-16 on March 27. Today, he was found suffering from Covid. Giri said there was no travel history of the patient and Health Department officials were tracing his contacts to know about the origin of infection.

As per the Health Department, the samples of a total 1,585 suspected cases were sent for testing out of which 1,381 were found negative and reports of 151 were still awaited. Total 57 have been found positive from seven districts. The state has reported five casualities so far. The cases include 19 from SBS Nagar, 12 from Mohali seven from Hoshiarpur, five each from Jalandhar and Amritsar, four from Ludhiana, three from Mansa and one each from Patiala and Ropar.

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