At 92, Punjab sees highest single-day deaths this year

CHANDIGARH: Punjab on Monday reported 92 deaths, the highest single-day fatalities due to the coronavirus this year, pushing the death toll to 8,356, according to a medical bulletin. The earlier high this year was 82 deaths, reported on April 19.

The state saw the maximum daily death toll of 102 cases in September last year. According to the bulletin, Punjab reported 5,724 fresh cases, taking the infection tally to 3,32,110.

A maximum of 11 deaths each were reported in Amritsar and Mohali, followed by 10 in Ludhiana, eight in Gurdaspur, seven in Patiala, six each in Jalandhar, Bathinda and Sangrur, three in Muktsar, two each Tarn Taran, Pathankot and one in Fatehgarh Sahib.

Among fresh cases, 861 were detected in Ludhiana, 802 in Mohali, 592 in Bathinda, 544 in Jalandhar, 465 in Patiala, 218 in Hoshiarpur, 385 in Amritsar, 217 in Pathankot, 220 in Mansa, 206 in Gurdaspur, 107 in Ferozepur, 170 in Fazilka, 151 in Rupnagar, 142 in Sangrur, 109 in Muktsar, 100 each in Tara Taran and Faridkot.

The number of active cases rose from 43,943 on Friday to 46,565, the bulletin said. A total of 2,949 coronavirus patients were discharged after recovering from infection, taking the number of cured people to 2,77,189, it said.

There are 61 critical patients who are on ventilator while 556 are on oxygen support, the bulletin said. A total of 69,03, 246 samples have been collected for testing so far in the state, it said.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government provided 147 oxygen concentrators to the worst-hit districts in the state’s Malwa region.

Minister Som Parkash shifted to Fortis

Union minister Som Parkash, who was under home isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus on April 19, was shifted to Fortis Hospital in Mohali on Saturday. He was admitted to ICU after dip in his oxygen saturation level.

Som Parkash has Covid pneumonia with significant lung involvement and raised biomarkers. He is on oxygen support and being managed medically as per guidelines.

The Union minister is being monitored closely in the ICU and the next few days would determine the trajectory of his stabilisation,” the hospital authorities said in a statement.