Punjab records 566 fresh COVID-19 cases, 8 more deaths

Chandigarh, February 24 

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Punjab surged to 1,79,819 on Wednesday as 566 more people tested positive for the disease while the death toll climbed to 5,786 with eight more fatalities, according to a medical bulletin.

Among other districts, Ludhiana reported 79 new cases, SBS Nagar 70, Jalandhar 67 and Mohali 64.

As many as 248 more coronavirus patients were discharged after recovering from the infection, taking the number of cured persons to 1,70,435, the bulletin said.

Nine critical patients are on ventilator support while 82 are on oxygen support, it said.

So far, 49,02,624 samples have been collected for testing in the state with over 20,000 collected on Wednesday, according to the bulletin.

Punjab is among five states that have been asked by the Centre to refocus on strict surveillance, containment and RT-PCR testing to check the growing number of coronavirus cases. PTI