One man responsible for Punjab’s 70 pc coronavirus cases; count reaches 31

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 25

With two more cases reported on Wednesday, the number of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has reached 31 in Punjab. One of the fresh cases is from Moranwali village in Hoshiarpur and the other from Ludhiana.

This Hoshiarpur case is also linked to 70-year-old Baldev Singh of SBS Nagar district, who succumbed to the deadly virus last week.

With the new case, the total number of cases getting infected from Baldev alone has reached 22; those affected include 18 of his family members from Banga and Phillaur towns. He had returned from Germany after which his condition deteriorated last week. He was found positive after death.

The latest to be affected by the deadly virus is a resident of Moranwali village in Garhshankar. He is the son of a priest, who was serving at Pathlawa dera of Banga where deceased Baldev Singh was serving too. The priest, Harbhajan Singh, has already been confirmed positive last week and Moranwali village has been sealed since then. The family members of Harbhajan Singh had been quarantined a few days ago. His son showed symptoms of fever and cough a few days back after which he, too, tested positive today.

According to health department, close contacts of the fresh case have been put under quarantine and surveillance. Samples of close contacts of these cases have also been taken and sent to the designated labs for testing.

As per the state health department, at present besides 130 suspected cases, around 1,150 people have been quarantined and one has succumbed to the deadly virus.  The results of 229 cases are awaited.

At present, confirmed 31 cases have been reported from five districts. This includes 18 from SBS Nagar, five cases from Mohali, three each from Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur and one each from Amritsar and from Ludhiana. Interestingly, the reported from Ludhiana doesn’t have any travel history. So the health officials are trying to locate his source of infection.

No confirmed case has been reported from rest of the 17 districts.

The health department has ordered to set up 2,500 isolation beds at 20 treatment-cum-isolation facilities for Covid-19 in the state’s various district hospitals and medical colleges.

These facilities will offer services free of cost. According to orders issued by Secretary (Health), all the 20 facilities have been made operational today.

District-wise cases

SBS Nagar           18

SAS Nagar           5

Jalandhar             3

Hoshiarpur          3

Amritsar               1

Ludhiana              1

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.