20 coronavirus cases reported in a day, highest so far in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 7

In a sharp jump, 20 new confirmed cases were reported in the past 24 hours in the state. The total number of confirmed cases has reached 99 in Punjab.

After the first case was reported on March 8 in the state, this was the largest single-day rise in the tally.

As per the state’s media bulletin, seven cases have been reported from SAS Nagar, six from Pathankot, four from Moga, two from Mansa and one from Amritsar.

The seven cases reported at Jawaharpur village of Mohali district were contacts of a patient admitted to GMCH, Sector 32, here. The DC said 118 samples of the further contacts of those found positive had been taken. As part of the immediate starting of the containment protocol, residents of 522 houses were checked for symptoms.

The village has already been sealed as a precautionary measure. With the new cases, now Mohali is the worst-affected district in the state with 26 cases.

Panic gripped Pathankot city as six persons tested positive, following which the administration has decided to initiate strict measures, including asking the police to clamp down on people not following the social distancing norms. The persons who tested positive include husband of Raj Rani, who died two days ago at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital, Amritsar.

As per the local health authorities, the cases might pertain to ‘community spread’ wherein a patient neither has any travel history nor has been in touch with anybody who has come from abroad recently. Raj Rani did come in contact with a Canadian citizen, but that was about two months ago.

In Mansa, two more persons tested positive for Covid, taking the total cases to five in the district. The two new cases are also linked to the three positive cases reported earlier in the district as they all were staying at a mosque in Budhladha subdivision after attending the religious congregation at Nizamuddin in Delhi last month.

According to the bulletin, four new cases were reported in Moga. Among the four persons was a 22-year-old man from Mumbai who was staying in a mosque at Cheeda village in Baghapurana subdivision of the district. They all were staying in the mosque along with nine others for past many days.