Mohali’s tally crosses 300 mark in 107 days with 14 fresh cases

CAUSE OF CONCERN 12 more people found infected in Behda village of Dera Bassi subdivision

MOHALI: With 14 fresh cases of coronavirus disease, Mohali’s tally crossed the 300 mark on Sunday morning.

The development comes a day after the district reported its fifth fatality related to the disease.

The number of confirmed cases stands at 302, of which 79 are active. Of the fresh ones, 12 are from Behda village in Dera Bassi subdivision, which is emerging as a new hotspot.

The patients include seven females, aged 14, 17, 18, 27, 28, 32 and 45, and five males, aged 17, 24, 26, 40, 51. All are contacts of previous positive cases.

The other two patients are a 57-year-old woman from Lalru, also in Dera Bassi subdivision, and a 36-year-old woman from Phase 4 in Mohali city. Both of them were suffering from influenza like illness.

Civil surgeon Dr Manjit Singh said all patients have been shifted to Gian Sagar Hospital in Banur and are responding well to treatment.

A 69-year-old woman of Phase 3A, who had returned from the UK, was the first to test positive in the district on March 20. The count climbed to 112 by the end of May, as Jawaharpur village in Dera Bassi emerged as a hotspot with 46 cases.

Since June 1, when the Centre unrolled the Unlock plan, the district has seen a major spike, with 190 cases being reported in the past 35 days.

Dera Bassi subdivision, which comprises of Dera Bassi town besides Zirakpur and Lalru,

OTHER TWO PATIENTS ARE A 57-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM LALRU, ALSO IN DERA BASSI, AND A 36-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM PHASE 4 IN MOHALI CITY

accounts for 60% of the total count so far.

“Dera Bassi is witnessing more cases as it has interstate border, and being an industrial hub, it also houses migrant population. We are making our best efforts to carry out extensive sampling in the area,” said Dr Singh.

Dr Vikrant Nagra, Covid-19 nodal officer for Dera Bassi, said Behda village in Dera Bassi is becoming a new hotspot as 35 cases have been reported so far. “There are two meat plants in the village and most of the infected persons are migrants working there,” he said. Dr Harmandeep Kaur Brar, nodal officer for the district, said it is the duty of industrialists in Dera Bassi to take precautions and prevent the spread of infection among migrants.