Tricity count goes past 400 for 1st time

Chandigarh reports 167 fresh cases and a death; three die, 86 test positive in Mohali

CHANDIGARH: With 425 fresh infections, the tricity’s daily Covid-19 count crossed the 400 mark for the first time on Wednesday.

It was on August 22 that Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula had recorded the previous combined highest single-day spike of 355 cases.

On Wednesday, their respective tally stood at 167, 86 and 172.

While it was also the biggest single-day surge in Panchkula district, Mohali crossed the 3,000 mark and also reported three more fatalities.

One death was also reported in Chandigarh, that of a 73-yearold man from Ram Darbar. It has taken the death toll to 41.

He was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute kidney injury with respiratory failure and septic shock. He tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday and died at Government Medical College and Hospital on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, total infections stand at 3,376 while the number of active cases has reached 1,537.

V-C OFFICE, ADMN BLOCK SHUT IN PU

Among the new cases in Chandigarh,

four are employees of Panjab University.

Following this, several offices, including the vice-chancellor’s office building, administrative block and Aruna Ranjit Chandra Hall, have been closed. They will reopen on August 31.

The employees who tested positive worked in the accounts office, certificate section, examination section and the DUI office section.

All officials, including deputy registrars and assistant registrars, posted in these blocks have been asked to collect information on whether the staff under their charge came in contact with the employees who have tested positive.

RLA OFFICE CLOSED TILL AUGUST 31

The Registering and Licensing Authority will remain closed from Thursday, as two of its staff members have tested Covid-19 positive.

During this period, the office premises will be sanitised and the services will be resumed on August 31.

Ten employees were tested after one of the employees came positive in the afternoon. All employees, over 50, will be tested.

Meanwhile, UT administrator VPS Badnore in a review meeting on Wednesday advised the PGIMER director that if there are mild and stable cases in the dedicated Covid hospital, they could be shifted to other place, so that beds remain reserved for critical patients only.

341 PEOPLE HAVE TESTED POSITIVE IN CHANDIGARH IN PAST TWO DAYS, WHICH IS 10% OF TOTAL CASES REPORTED SO FAR