Punjab’s tally on Friday jumped to 53 with the State reporting six more cases — three from Amritsar, two from Mohali and one from Ludhiana.
Out of three positive cases in Amritsar, two are associated with Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa, a former Hazoori Ragi of the Golden Temple who died on Thursday after he tested positive for coronavirus, said Amritsar’s Civil Surgeon Dr Prabhdeep Kaur Johal.
The district health authorities are awaiting the reports of three other people — all relatives — associated with the Padma Shri awardee.
The third positive case from Amritsar is an unconnected case of a shopkeeper who had neither travelled anywhere recently nor had visitors from abroad — probably the first such instance in Punjab, said Dr Johal, adding that this case has alarmed the health authorities.
“We have quarantined his relatives and have also taken their swabs for testing,” said Amritsar’s Civil Surgeon.
Mohali also reported two more positive cases and both of them have recently attended a religious congregation in the national capital.
“These are the first cases in the State in connection with Tablighi Jamaat’s congregation in Nizamuddin Markaz mosque last month,” said a senior government official.
Mohali Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan said: “Two more positive cases in the district who had attended religious congregation at Delhi. They are in isolation, and their contacts are being traced.”
He said that the containment zones have been made in Sector 68 and Mauli Baidwan village from where the two people have been tested positive. “Familes and neighbourhood are being sensitized by a team led by SDM. And contact tracing and intensive sampling is going on,” he said adding that the village was self-isolated with the help of “proactive” sarpanch and residents with Police.
Besides, 48 samples of the contacts of Jagatpura positive case, have been found negative while the results of three samples are awaited. Furthermore, the 14 samples of the contacts of other positive cases have also been found negative while the results of five more are awaited, said the Deputy Commissioner.
Ludhiana also reported a confirmed case with 69-year old female, a Ludhiana resident who had recently visited Mohali, testing positive.
“The 69 years old female from Ludhiana had travelled to Mohali Sector-91 on March 17 in a Volvo bus, and was asymptomatic at that time. She stayed in Mohali from March 17 to 31, and on March 23, she started developing symptoms like cough and fever. On March 27, her other family members — her niece and grandson — developed the same symptoms. Three days later, the patient developed diarrhea for which, she was shifted to Fortis Ludhiana directly in hospital’s ambulance,” informed a government official.
“Both driver and the Class IV attendant, who accompanied her in ambulance, are asymptomatic but have been quarantined. Sampling of both will be done soon,” said the official adding that the Mohali District Administration has also started the tracing of her contacts.
However, the official maintained that the patient is critical and is currently on ventilator support. Another patient from Hoshiarpur, Harjinder Singh alias Kaka, who was tested positive a day before, is also serious.
Out of total 53, seven districts have so far reported cases — including 19 from SBS Nagar, 12 from Mohali, seven from Hoshiarpur, five each from Jalandhar and Amritsar, four from Ludhiana, and one from Patiala. The figure includes five deaths and one patient who was discharged from hospital after his second test results came negative.
A total of 1,585 samples have been taken in the state so far. Of this, 1,381 samples were negative and reports of 151 samples were awaited.
