Concern over high mortality as 5 more die in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 28

Nearly 160 positive cases and five deaths were reported from across the state today. Besides, one patient each in Amritsar, Pathankot, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur succumbed to Covid-related complications.

Expressing concern, Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan asked deputy commissioners to take steps to control the mortality rate, which stands at 2.4 per cent.

Directing the DCs to take special care of critical patients, she told them to take the help of the state expert group, chaired by Dr KK Talwar.

During her videoconference with the DCs, Mahajan told the officers to go the extra mile to ensure proper surveillance and curb the mortality rate.

Meanwhile, Sangrur continued to throw up a high number of Covid-19 positive cases, with the district today reporting 69 cases — the highest in the state. Of these, reports of 24 patients turned positive after the release of the media bulletin.

Patiala district too is witnessing a surge in the number of Covid cases. In the highest single-day spike so far, the district reported 30 cases.

Civil Surgeon Dr Harish Malhotra said 13 cases belonged to a family of 30 at Lohand village in Rajpura. Two members of the family were truck drivers, who had came from Uttar Pradesh.

In Sangrur, of the new cases reported today, 32 were from Malerkotla, seven from Sangrur, three from Sherpur, two from Dhuri and one from Dirba.

In Ludhiana, 39 more tested positive, including four cops. Four have tested positive in Khanna, including a 10-year-old girl and a pregnant woman from Amloh.

In Amritsar, a 65-year-old Covid positive woman from Rayya town died. The district death toll has reached 39. She was suffering from cancer and had tested positive recently. As many as 12 new positive cases were reported, taking the district count of positive patients to 883. The new cases include a Vigilance Bureau employee and a Civil Hospital employee.

In Jalandhar, 17 more cases came to the fore. With this, the district tally reached 704. A 73-year-old woman from Lamma Pind died, taking the death toll in the district to 21.

On the positive side, the number of Covid patients who have been cured and discharged today (206) were more than the new cases reported.

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