69 deaths 1,515 fresh Covid-19 cases in state

LUDHIANA/AMRITSAR/ BATHINDA/JALANDHAR/ PATIALA: Punjab on Saturday reported 69 Covid-related fatalities pushing the death toll to 1,808. The state also witnessed 1,515 new cases, taking the tally to 61,527, according to a media bulletin released by the state government.

Ludhiana again topped the chart with 12 deaths followed by 10 from Ferozepur, eight each from Amritsar and Jalandhar, four from Patiala, three each from Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Mohali, Pathankot and Rupnagar, two each from Faridkot, Sangrur, Moga, Barnala and Hoshiarpur and one each from Kapurthala and SBS Nagar, the bulletin said.

Jalandhar reported 254 cases, Ludhiana 208, Mohali 146, Patiala 138, Amritsar 132, Gurdaspur 113, Hoshiarpur 105, Bathinda 100 and Mansa 49, the bulletin said.

A total of 1,306 patients were discharged after recovering from the infection. So far, 43,849 people have been cured of the infection, said the bulletin. Punjab has 15,870 active COVID-19 cases now, it said.

Capt ends self-isolation after testing negative

CHANDIGARH Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday ended his week-long self-isolation after testing negative for Covid.

The chief minister had isolated himself after coming in contact with two MLAS who had later tested positive. He came in contact with the legislators in the Vidhan Sabha on August 28 during a one-day session of the House.

Captain Amarinder, who presided over a virtual high-level meeting of ministers, Congress MLAS and senior officials, disclosed during the interaction that he had got himself tested on Saturday and was found negative. This is the third time the chief minister has got himself tested for coronavirus since the outbreak in March.