Covid-19 claims 12 lives, 551 new cases recorded

LUDHIANA/JALANDHAR/AMRITSAR/ PATIALA/BATHINDA/MOHALI: In the biggest surge in Covid-19 cases to date, Punjab recorded 551 fresh infections across the state on Monday in addition to the 12 virus-related fatalities.

With this, 318 people have lost their lives due to the virus, while the state’s patient tally has gone up to 13,769.

Among the fatalities, five were reported from Ludhiana, two from Patiala and one from Amritsar. In terms of fresh cases, state’s industrial hub Ludhiana continues to lead the tally with 136 new infections recorded on Monday, followed by 69 cases from Doaba region, 51 from Gurdaspur, 42 from Patiala and 41 from Amritsar districts.

Thirty-two people were found infected in Mohali, 31 in Bathinda, 19 in Tarn Taran, and 14 each in Faridkot and Sangrur districts.

Sixty-nine people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Doaba region comprising Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and SBS Nagar districts. In Jalandhar, 44 individuals tested positive, while 15 infections were detected in Hoshiarpur, eight in Kapurthala district and two in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.

Two patients died, while 42 tested positive for coronavirus in Patiala district.

FORMER MINISTER, TWO SONS TEST POSITIVE

Former Punjab cabinet minister Surjit Singh Kohli and his sons — former Patiala mayor Ajitpal Singh Kohli and Gurjeet Kohli —tested positive for coronavirus on Monday.

Eight fresh Covid-19 cases surfaced in Muktsar district, while six were found infected in Mansa.