Muktsar MLA, rebel AAP legislator Manshahia among 1,704 test positive

LUDHIANA/BATHINDA/BATHINDA/SANGRUR/JALANDHAR/PATIALA: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislator from Muktsar Kanwarjit Singh Rozy Barkandi and rebel AAP legislator Nazar Singh Manshahia tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday even as the state witnessed the steepest single-day spike of 1,704 cases, pushing the state’s tally to 34,400. The death toll reached 898 with 35 more people succumbing to the virus, according to a medical bulletin released by the state government.

With 17,337 positive cases reported from August 1 to 18, the caseload has doubled in Punjab in just 18 days. The state also witnessed 493 deaths this month. With this, Punjab’s positivity rate has jumped from 2.8% on August 1 to 4.2% on August 18.

Barkandi said since he had a sore throat and cold for the past few days, he got himself tested. His samples were tested in Mohali and he is in home isolation at his Chandigarh residence.

His family members and security personnel have tested negative.

Officiating Mansa civil surgeon Dr GB Singh said a journalist and two Punjab Police constables were the other primary contacts of Punjab revenue minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar, who was tested positive hours after the Independence Day function.

Eight deaths were reported from Ludhiana, four each from Amritsar, Patiala and Sangrur, three from Mohali and SBS Nagar, two each from Tarn Taran and Rupnagar and one each from Kapurthala, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar and Muktsar, according to the media bulletin.

Among the districts which reported new cases include Ludhiana (483), Patiala (338), Jalandhar (132), Mohali (103), Bathinda (94), Fatehgarh Sahib (52), Sangrur (52), Hoshiarpur (50), Muktsar (49), Amritsar (46), Fazilka (46) and Faridkot (46).

A total of 1,582 coronavirus patients were discharged after recovering from the disease on Monday. So far 21,762 people in the state have been cured.