State registers jump in Covid cases, 107 test +ve

CHANDIGARH : Punjab on Wednesday registered a jump in Covid-19 infections with 107 fresh cases surfacing in a day, taking the tally to 5,99,678.

With no Covid-related fatality, the death toll stood at 16,325, according to a medical bulletin released by the state government.

This is for the second consecutive day that the state has registered rise in cases. On Tuesday, Punjab reported 76 new infections. The state registered 118 cases on July 17 and since then, it has been witnessing less than 100 infections daily.

The positivity rate also rose to 0.24% as compared to 0.23% on Tuesday, according to the bulletin.

State’s nodal officer for Covid-19 Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said though there is some increase in the daily count, it is too early to say if the cases have started increasing again. “We have witnessed a trend in which cases increase for two days and come down on the third day,” he said.

With the rise in the number of infections, the active cases rose to 517 from 460 Tuesday. Ludhiana reported a maximum of 32 cases, followed by nine in Amritsar, eight each in Bathinda and Fazilka and seven in Hosharpur.

With 45 recoveries from the infection, the number of cured persons has reached 5,82,836, the bulletin said.

A total of 1,25,20,735 samples have been collected for testing so far in the state whereas 44,562 samples were tested on Wednesday.

A total of 1,45,144 doses of the Covid vaccine were administered on Wednesday, the bulletin said.

6 govt school students test positive in Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur: Six students of a government school tested positive for Covid, said an official on Wednesday.

District education officer (secondary) Gursharn Singh said Government High School, Jaja, will remain shut till August 15, adding that the closure could be further extended on the directions of the deputy commissioner.

Among those tested positive for coronavirus, three are from Class 7, two from Class 10 and one from Class 9, said the official.

The health department took samples of all students and 13 teachers of the school. Sanitisation of the entire school complex is being done, the official added.

Meanwhile, an 11-year-old student of government school in Nabha also tested positive for Covid. Nodal officer Dr Sumeet Singh said: “All the students in her contact have been quarantined and teams have been sent to carry out sampling.”