Coronavirus: Punjab reports one death, 11 new cases in 24 hrs; state tally rises to 197

Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Gurdaspur, April 16

Punjab on Thursday reported 11 new coronavirus cases, taking the total in the state to 197. The new cases have been reported from Patiala (3), Pathankot (2) and Jalandhar (6).

The state has witnessed 14 deaths due to the deadly disease so far. On Thursday, a 60-year-old Gurdaspur man died at the government medical college and hospital in Amritsar.

Sansar Singh, from Bhaini Passwal village, had recently attended the cremation of an ex-army subedar, who was his relative. The man had tested positive for coronavirus and died in Jalandhar.

Later, Singh showed symptoms of the disease, following which he visited a private hospital in BSF Chowk in Gurdaspur. The hospital staff asked him to get admitted to the Gurdaspur civil hospital where, after a preliminary check-up, he was referred to Amritsar.

Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ishfaq said his cremation would be held at his native Bhaini Passwal village.

“The time for the last rites has yet to be fixed. We are still deliberating,” said a member from Singh’s family.

SSP Swarandeep Singh said the police had made elaborate arrangements for the cremation.

“I will be coordinating the movement of people and police officials. The village and its adjoining hamlets have been declared as containment zones. Hence movement will be severely restricted,” he said.

SDM Sakattar Singh Bal said no one will be permitted to come out of the containment zone during the cremation.

Out of 105 suspected cases in this district, one has tested positive, 91 have tested negative while the reports of 13 are pending.

Mohali is the worst-hit district in the state with 56 cases, followed by Jalandhar from where 31 cases have been reported till date. The state government had started rapid testing, a kind of blood test that gives quick results, in both districts on Tuesday.

A total of 5,524 samples have been taken so far in the state, of which 4,727 tested negative for the infection while reports of 600 are still awaited.