Punjab on Thursday witnessed a record spike of 441 fresh cases, including SAD MLA from Batala Lakhbir Singh Lodhianangal and his son, with eight more succumbing to the deadly contagion pushing the state’s COVID-19 tally close to 12,000. With the new additions, the total number of novel coronavirus positive patients in Punjab stood at 11739, while the death toll has reached 277. Patiala and Jalandhar reported two deaths each, while Amritsar, SAS Nagar (Mohali), Ferozepur, and Hoshiarpur reported one fatality each.
Among the districts, Ludhiana reported the highest 89 fresh cases, followed by Jalandhar with 63, Patiala 53, Bathinda 42, SAS Nagar 30, Amritsar 22, Sangrur 20, Ferozepur 17, Pathankot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, and Muktsar with 13 each, Gurdaspur with 12, Hoshiarpur 9, Fazilka 8, Tarn Taran 7, SBS Nagar, Kapurthala and Mansa with four each, Moga three and Barnala with two fresh cases.
Even as the health authorities are yet to compile the details of all the cases from Ludhiana and some from Bathinda and Fatehgarh Sahib, as many as 111 were reported with the contact history and 26 with the travel history to other states or countries.
Of the total 175 fresh cases are with no contact or travel history and categorized as “new”. These include 31 with Influenza-like Illness (ILI), nine Police Personnel including six from Ferozepur and one each from Faridkot, Amritsar and Gurdaspur; three healthcare workers, 14 from the out-patient department (OPD); one Doctor, one from the Field Staff, one from the Health Staff, among others.
A total of 100 patients were discharged from hospitals on Wednesday after recovering from COVID-19. Thirteen patients were in a critical state and have been put on ventilator while 70 are on oxygen support, said the bulletin.
So far, 7,741 people have been cured of the disease and there were 3,721 active COVID-19 cases in the state, it stated.Punjab has been witnessing daily surge in COVID-19 cases in the range of 300-400 for the past several days.
On Wednesday, the state had witnessed an increase of 414 cases.
Ludhiana has the highest COVID-19 tally with 2,138 cases, followed by 1,832 in Jalandhar, 1,381 in Amritsar, 1,184 in Patiala, 865 in Sangrur, 635 in Mohali , 379 in Hoshiarpur, 337 in Gurdaspur, 304 in Pathankot, 278 in SBS Nagar, 258 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 255 in Ferozepur and 252 in Tarn Taran. Faridkot and Bathinda has so far recorded 242 cases each, Moga 233, Muktsar 199, Fazilka 187, Rupnagar 180, Kapurthala 175, Barnala 93 and Mansa 90.
SAD MLA, SON TESTED POSITIVE
SAD MLA from Batala Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal has been tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday, along with his son Mandeep Singh, becoming the fourth legislator in the state and first from the Akali Dal afflicted by the contagion. Lodhianagal’s samples were taken on Tuesday after the MLA complained of fever and fatigue. He was admitted to a private hospital in Amritsar. Batala MLA was among 12 persons who were infected with coronavirus on Thursday, said Gurdaspur Civil Surgeon Kishan Chand. Earlier, state Cabinet Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and two Congress legislators —Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal (Phagwara) and Dharambir Agnihotri (Tarn Taran) — had also contracted the infection.
28 COPS FOUND POSITIVE IN BATHINDA
Of the total cases reported from Bathinda, 28 cops posted at the Nathana police station have been tested positive for COVID-19 — all the primary contacts of an Assistant Sub-Inspector, who had tested positive on Saturday. Till date, 36 cops in the district have contracted the infection. All the 28 cops had been sent into quarantine right after the ASI was found infected and all of them are asymptomatic and have been moved to an isolation facility.