Punjab on Thursday registered eight new cases taking the state’s total to 285, besides registering another death, that of a six months old baby girl from Phagwara who was undergoing treatment at Chandigarh’s PGIMER. With this, total 17 persons have, so far, succumbed to the deadly virus — at a rate of six percent.
Maximum seven cases were reported from Jalandhar, all of which are from the contacts of already positive cases of a vernacular newspaper, besides another case was reported from Mohali district’s Nayagaon which is a contact case of the PGI employee already tested positive.
“All the six persons who tested positive are linked with leading vernacular daily newspaper…32 years old male, 31 years old male, 55 year old wife of man who is already positive, 70 years old man who is the direct contact of a man who is positive and works with the newspaper and resides on rent under the new positive case, 39 years old wife of a man who works in the newspaper from New Dashmesh Nagar, and 46 years old wife of a man who is the contact of a man who is the father of the newspaper employee,” said a government official.
Another 65-year-old woman also tested positive in Jalandhar on late Wednesday night from New Jawala Nagar who works as a proof-reader in the newspaper.
With these seven cases, the district’s tally has reached 60 — closely following Mohali with 63 cases.
Mohali also reported another positive case of a 30 years old male from Nayagaon, who is the primary contact of a previous positive case of the PGI employee.
“Of the 63 total cases, 14 have been cured, leaving 47 active cases now. The state has registered two deaths,” said the Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan.