Punjab is registering a steady surge in the number of its Covid-19 patients, breaking the record of biggest spike each passing day. The state on Monday witnessed another 500-plus figure, a biggest single day spike, with 557 fresh cases and 12 deaths during the past 24 hours.
With this, the State’s Covid-19 tally has reached 13,769, with total of 318 patients succumbing to death.
Ludhiana, for the second successive day, reported highest number of cases and deaths. The district reported whopping 176 fresh cases, including 18 cops and eight jail inmates, besides five deaths in the past 24 hours.
In Ludhiana, which witnessed a highest single day spike in its police force, the office of police commissioner has been sealed for three days after two employees, involved in public dealing, tested positive. Besides, the Division 3 and 8 police stations have also been sealed.
Besides Ludhiana, two deaths were reported from Patiala, while one casualty each was reported from Amritsar, Jalandhar, Moga, Gurdaspur, and Tarn Taran.
Ludhiana accounts for 32 per cent of the total cases reported on Monday with 176 infections, followed by 54 in Jalandhar, Gurdaspur 53, Amritsar 46, Patiala 40, SAS Nagar (Mohali) 31, Hoshiarpur and Tarn Taran (19 each), Moga 18, Sangrur and Barnala (17 each), Pathankot and Fatehgarh Sahib (12 each), Bathinda and Kapurthala (nine each), Muktsar and Mansa (eight each), Ropar (five), and SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr) and Faridkot with two each.
Of the fresh cases, 190 have the contact history, and 11 have the travel history to other states or countries. Among the “new” cases with no travel or contact history, 32 are police personnel including 18 from Ludhiana, 11 from Amritsar, two from Fatehgarh Sahib, and one from Kapurthala.
“New” cases also include five prisoners — one each from Sangrur and Tarn Taran, besides three from Barnala; eight jail inmates from Ludhiana; one healthcare worker, 61 with Influenza-like Illness (ILI), 35 from the out-patient department (OPD), among others.
In Mohali, a State Bank of India’s branch in Kharar city was sealed after a woman employee tested positive for Covid-19. Confirming, Mohali Civil Surgeon Dr Manjit Singh said that the SBI?branch has been sealed and the health department will be taking samples of all its employees on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a day after the station house officer (SHO), Kharar City, was found infected with the virus leading to sealing of the premises, the administration decided to stop public dealing at all police stations in the district. Earlier, even Gharuan police station had to be sealed after 16 cops tested positive.
As many 254 new patients - 55 from Ludhiana, 37 from Patiala, 35 from Hoshiarpur, 23 from Amritsar, 17 from Gurdaspur, 15 from Fatehgarh Sahib, 14 from Moga, 10 each from Kapurthala and SBS Nagar (Nawanshahr), five from Muktsar, four from Bathinda, and one each from SAS Nagar (Mohali), Tarn Taran, Ropar, and Barnala - were discharged on Monday taking the total number of recoveries to 9,064, at the rate of 66 per cent.
The State now has 4,387 active cases, 32 per cent of the total positive cases, of which 113 patients are on oxygen support, and 14 are critical and on ventilator support.
MALERKOTLA
SUB JAIL CONVERTED INTO ISOLATION
CENTRE FOR COVID POSITIVE PRISONERS
Witnessing a spike in number of novel coronavirus cases among the jail inmates or prisoners across the State, Malerkotla sub-jail has been converted into isolation centre for Covid-19 positive prisoners. The inmates of Malerkotla jail has been shifted to Nabha jail. The sub jail was converted into Level I isolation centre as per the decision of the Sangrur Administration. As many 26 Covid-19 positive prisoners were shifted to the sub jail from Sangrur Jail.