In Punjab, 27 cases sans travel history, says Capt
Cites PGI study to say situation grim; PGI dissociates itself
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Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 10
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In state of preparedness
- 1.5 lakh NRIs, travellers have completed their quarantine periods and 2,032 were in govt or home isolation
- Low testing a major challenge, Punjab will receive its quota of 25,000 antibody test kits by Monday
Punjab has 434 operational ventilators of which 358 are in the private sector; 93 more ordered
Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh today said the state was witnessing the onset of community transmission with most of the 27 Covid cases confirmed on Thursday being that of secondary transmission, with no travel history or contact with a recent traveller.
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The CM cited a study by Chandigarh PGI’s Department of Community Medicine to say Covid-19 would peak in mid-September at a point when 58 per cent of India’s population could be affected. “It is likely to infect 87 per cent of Punjab’s population, says this study,” the CM said. The PGI Chandigarh dissociated from the report and said they were not aware of any such projections.
The Punjab CM’s office later clarified that the projections cited were based on a mathematical modelling study by Dr Shankar Prinja, Additional Professor of Health Economics, Community Medicine and School of Public Health, PGIMER, and his team.
“The Committee on Health Sector Response and Procurement headed by Vini Mahajan with ex-PGI Director Dr KK Talwar as professional adviser had sought an urgent assessment of Punjab’s Covid-19 scenario from Dr Prinja to plan its preparedness,” an official spokesperson said.
Punjab has 651 cases related to Delhi’s Nizamuddin cluster of which 636 have been traced and 27 have been confirmed as positive.
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