Except death rate, state’s Covid figures show slide
CHANDIGARH : Punjab seems to have flattened the Covid-19 curve going by the ratio of active cases in the past five months which is at its lowest figure of 1.2%, but the state’s Case Fatality Ratio (CFR) continues to be the highest in the country.
Data procured from the health department reveals that out of total 1,73,674 cases to date, only 2,122 are active and in past 10 days (January 24 to February 2), the state recorded only 1,941 fresh infections.
During this period, the number of new cases grew by 0.1%, which was the state’s lowest growth rate in the past eight months.
Currently, SAS Nagar (Mohali) has the most active cases (538), followed Ludhiana (356) and Jalandhar (212).
Data suggests that Punjab’s recovery rate is now over 96% and state was among the best states on this aspect as well.
Death rate highest in country
Punjab recorded 75 deaths between January 26 and February 2 with an average of seven deaths daily, an area of concern for the government.
Whereas other states are showing immense improvement in its CFR, Punjab’s death ratio has increased to 3.2%.
Maharashtra, the state with maximum case load has managed to bring down its CFR to 2.5%, whereas Gujarat, the other state whose CFR was as worst than Punjab till October last year, has decreased it to 1.7%. Haryana with more caseload than Punjab has a CFR of 1%.
Positivity rate goes down to 1.2%
State’s test positivity ratio has also come down to 3.9% and Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand are the other states whose positivity ratio is lower than Punjab. All other states have positivity ratio higher than Punjab’s.
In the past ten days, the positivity ratio has further decreased with state conducting 1,57,418 tests, of which 1,941 came out positive.
State’s nodal office for Covid-19, Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, said state has managed to flatten the curve and state’s caseload was at its lowest in the past six months.
“The CFR is on the higher side still even as the number for new cases has come down. Cases are expected to come down further now with the start of the vaccination drive,” said the nodal officer.
Five Covid deaths, 194 cases in state
CHANDIGARH: Five more coronavirus deaths took the toll to 5,633 in Punjab on Tuesday, while the infection tally rose to 1,73,861 with 194 new cases, it said.
There are 2,130 active cases and 179 more patients have recovered, taking the number of those who recuperated to 1,66,103.
Ten critical patients are on ventilator support, while 73 are on oxygen support, the bulletin said.
A total of 45,20,789 samples have been collected for testing so far in the state, it said.
Among the new cases, Mohali reported 53 cases, Ludhiana 26 and Jalandhar 15.
416 cops get Covid jabs
A total of 416 police personnel across the state got themselves inoculated for the coronavirus disease on the second day of the second phase of the vaccination.
Additional director general of police (ADGP)-cum-director Punjab Police Academy (PPA), Phillaur, Anita Punj, inspector general of police (IGP)-cum-additional director PPA Yurinder Singh Hayer, IGP, Faridkot, Kaustubh Sharma, commissioner of police (CP), Ludhiana, Rakesh Agrawal and CP Jalandhar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar besides 12 senior superintendents of police (SSPs) were among the top brass to get the COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday.