Punjab on Wednesday reported a whopping 106 casualties, the highest single day figure reported in the State, triggering alarm bells in the population as well as the health service providers.
With the jump, the state’s COVID-19 death toll has reached 1,618, pushing the mortality rate to 2.84 percent from 2.72 percent a day before. Maximum 18 deaths were reported from Ludhiana — highest in any district; followed by 11 in Jalandhar; 10 in Bathinda; nine in SAS Nagar (Mohali); eight each in Amritsar and Gurdaspur; seven in Ropar; six in Patiala; five each in Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur, and Kapurthala; three each in Fatehgarh Sahib and Fazilka, two each in Faridkot, Sangrur, and Tarn Taran; and one each in Muktsar and SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr).
Continuing the trend, the State has reported a spike of 1514 fresh cases — including 60 prisoners of which 44 are from Bathinda and 16 from Muktsar — in a span of 24 hours for another day, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the State to 56,989.
Alarmed over the high rate of casualties in a single day, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Wednesday appealed to the people not to risk their lives by delaying COVID-19 testing. On a day when 106 deaths were reported due to the Coronavirus in the state, the Health Minister said that delayed diagnosis in patients reporting for testing or treatment at the COVID-19 facilities was the main cause of the high mortality rate.
“As many as 67 percent of all COVID-19 deaths are due to patients reporting at the health facility for the first time after suffering severe signs and symptoms,” he said adding that these cases then become difficult to manage, leading to fatality.
Pointing to reports received from districts about resistance in communities to sampling and testing for COVID-19, the Minister said that even symptomatic persons with co-morbidities have not been reporting to the healthcare facilities till the disease becomes acute.
“This is the cause for maximum COVID-19 deaths being among patients with co-morbid conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart and kidney disease, said the Minister adding that more than 50 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in the State have been among diabetics.
The Minister said that the delay in patients reporting at hospitals and healthcare facilities was on account of the false propaganda and fake news being spread by anti-social elements regarding testing and isolation of COVID-19 patients and negative propaganda against the health workers.
Appealing to the people of State to join hands with the State Government to combat this pandemic, the Minister said that in the absence of a vaccine so far, the only option for all was to follow the health protocols in letter and spirit till the vaccine is developed.
TWO MORE PUNJAB MLAS TEST POSITIVE, TOTAL 35
Punjab’s two more lawmakers — Congress MLA from Amloh Randeep Singh Nabha and SAD’s Lehra Gaga MLA Parminder Singh Dhindsa — have been tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. With this, the total number of legislators afflicted by the contagion has reached 35. Punjab has a total of 117 members.
Nabha maintained that he underwent the test as a precautionary measure, and his report turned out to be positive, while his family members have been tested negative. “I have isolated myself completely and I appeal everyone to get yourself tested if you have fever or cough, or you have come in contact with any corona positive persons,” he appealed.
Other MLAs who had tested positive include Revenue Minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar, jaila Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Industries Minister Sham Sunder Arora, Deputy Speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti, along with MLAs Madan Lal Jalalpur, Hardyal Singh Kamboj, Harjot Kamal, Pargat Singh, Manpreet Singh Ayali, NK Sharma, Rozy Barkandi, Gurpratap Singh Vadala, Nazar Singh Manshahia, Harinder Pal Singh, Manjeet Singh, Kulwant Singh, Principal Budh Ram, Dalveer Singh, Kanwarjit Singh, Darshan Singh Brar and Surinder Dabar Singh.
Those who have recovered from the contagion include Cabinet Minister Tripat Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Dr Dharmvir Agnihotri, Amit Vij, Amrik Singh Dhillon, Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Sanjeev Talwar, Lakhvir Singh and Kulbeer Singh.