ANOTHER BIG SPIKE: PUNJAB RECORDS 51 DEATHS AND 1,492 FRESH CASES
Records 51 fatalities and 1,492 new cases on Monday; took 57 days to touch the 1,500 mark
LUDHIANA/AMRTISAR/JALANDHAR/ BATHINDA/PATIALA :In the steepest ever hike in Covid deaths and fresh infections yet, Punjab recorded 51 fatalities and 1,492 new cases on Monday, taking the state’s patient tally to 32,695. The death toll in the state stands at 862 and 11,653 cases are active. For perspective how steep the spike is, the state took 57 days to touch the figure of 1,500 Covid cases after first patient was reported on March 9.
To check the virus spread, the government decided to impose night curfew, (9pm to 5am), which comes into force from today across the state.
On Monday, Ludhiana district added highest number on both counts — 17 deaths and 247 fresh infections. The death toll in the district on Sunday was 15.
Six fatalities and 154 patients were reported in Patiala district on Monday. Civil surgeon Dr Harish Malhotra said 69 infections were detected in Patiala city, 19 in Patran, 18 in Rajpura, 11 in Nabha, three in Samana, one in Sanour and 33 from different villages across the district.
Two people died in the last 24-hours in Bathinda, while one death each was reported from
Ferozepur, Moga and Muktsar districts. Ferozepur reported 166 cases, followed by 161 in Moga. Bathinda reported 153 new cases and 160 patients were shifted to adjoining districts.
Two patients from Amritsar and one from Gurdaspur succumbed to the virus at local hospitals. In Sangrur, two people succumbed to illness due to the virus. A 47-year-old man died at a private hospital in Ludhiana and another 53-year-old succumbed to the virus at Government Rajindra Hospital Patiala. Besides, 39 new cases were recorded in the district and 62 were reported from neighboring Barnala.
Jalandhar district added 201 cases on Monday, which is the highest single-day spike. Seven cases were reported in SBS Nagar district. In Kapurthala, one person died and 27 others tested positive. Among the positive cases, a 26-year-old cop posted with the city police found infected.
Mohali district also registered its steepest single-day spike of 102 cases on Monday. Regional transport authority (RTA) Sukhwinder Kumar, along with four employees of his office, and one field employee of the tehbaazari wing of the Mohali municipal corporation are among those who tested positive.
MANPREET GOES IN HOME QUARANTINE
Bathinda SSP Bhupinder Jit Singh Virk and district Congress leader Khushbaz Jattana tested positive. Both of them were present at the district-level Independence Day function, where finance minister Manpreet Badal was chief guest.
Manpreet said he will be in home quarantine as a precautionary measure after the SSP tested positive. Deputy commissioner B Srinivasan said he is isolating himself as he was sitting near the SSP during the function.
Also, Akali Dal MLA Manpreet Ayali tested positive and is in home quarantine since he tested positive on August 12. Ayali said he may have caught infection during public dealing.