During the past 24 hours, 24 corona positive cases were reported in Punjab, besides two deaths. Witnessing a steep increase in coronavirus positive cases to 130 on Thursday from the previous day’s figure of 106, the state has recorded highest number of confirmed cases in a single day.
Out of the total 24, maximum seven cases were reported from SAS Nagar taking the district’s total tally to 37, followed by six from Mansa, four each from Ludhiana and Jalandhar and one each from Muktsar, Barnala and Sangrur. One death each was reported from Barnala and Jalandhar districts.
With 37 total cases, Mohali’s Jawaharpur village of Dera Bassi block is emerging as a hotspot with 22 positive cases. The village’s first case of 42-year-old panch was reported on April 4, after which 21 others, including 15 from his extended family, have been tested positive. Panch’s 64-year-old father has also tested positive and admitted in the isolation ward of the Gian Sagar Hospital in Banur where all other patients are undergoing treatment.
As many as 118 samples were collected by the health authorities from the village to check the community spread, and 11 samples were tested positive on Wednesday including four from the panch’s family. Of these, 80 samples were tested negative and results of 75 samples are awaited.
Alarmed, the Mohali District Administration has sealed Jawaharpur village along with other villages including Mukandpur, Devi Nagar and Haripur Kurha. Besides, the house to house survey is also being conducted in the neighbouring villages too.
Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan said that none of the 22 patients has travel history, and most of them were asymptomatic and detected only though testing. “Some Tablighi Jamaat members had stayed in the village, but left before anyone could get information about them,” he added.
Dayalan said that after carrying out the contact tracing, the panch had come in contact with his factory workers, who had met the Tablighi Jamaat members, which is believed to have led to the spread of the virus.
“So far, we had traced 142 contacts of the 37 positive patients in Mohali district, which will help in containing the spread of the virus. All 22 patients are admitted to isolation ward of the Gian Sagar Hospital in Banur.
“Let me reiterate, this is because we have been doing extensive sampling – not just quarantine. For each positive contact, we’ve been tracing, and testing 25-55 people. We are not hiding being numbers. We are fighting the invisible enemy and winning against the disease by making it visible through extensive testing. There is no need for panic but I will stress the need for taking all precautions as mandated by the government,” tweeted Dayalan.
After reporting its first COVID-19 case recently, Mansa recorded six more positive cases taking the district’s total tally to 11. All new cases were in contact of the five members of Tablighi Jammat, who were tested positive earlier, said the government official, adding that they include two women and two children all from Budhlada.
The Tablighi Jamaat members, from Chhattisgarh, had stayed at a mosque at Budhlada town of Mansa after they had come from Delhi on March 19 upon attending Markaj at Delhi.
The residential areas, where positive cases were found, have been sealed.
In Jalandhar, four new cases were reported including 65-year-old woman from Bhairon Bazar, 42-year-old woman resident of Purani Sabzi Mandi, and a 63-year-old man from Maqsudan, other than 59-year-old small businessman from Mitha Bazar — who succumbed to the deadly virus.
Besides, the positive case from Maqsudan has been serving as technician at the Sacred Hospital in Jalandhar. The health department has chalked out a containment plan for the hospital as the staff and patients have panicked.
Four new cases were tested positive in Ludhiana district include the son of a deceased positive patient, who was the first to die in Ludhiana due to COVID-19. Another 24-year-old male, who was involved in a theft case tested positive. Third positive case is a 15-year-old nephew of the Chowkiman positive patient who took part in the Tablighi Jamaat gathering at Delhi.
Fourth positive case is from Ramgarh village, Jagraon, and is 32-year-old male, who took part in the Tablighi Jamaat gathering at Delhi.
In Sangrur, a 65-year-old resident of Gagadpur village has tested positive. The patient had travelled by air from New Delhi on March 24. He was asymptomatic, but his report has come positive. He had been under quarantine at his house.
Another case was of 52-year-old woman from a village in Barnala district who was admitted at Fortis Hospital, Ludhiana, and later died a day before and tested to be COVID-19 positive. The woman had complained of high grade fever and breathing difficultly for the last six-seven days. After her death on Wednesday, her sample was sent for testing which came out to be positive.
In Muktsar, a report of a 17-year-old Tablighi Jamaat member has come up positive. He is originally from Meerut (Uttar Pradesh). After coming to Muktsar with colleagues from Nizamuddin Markaz, he could not return due to curfew.
