Six more test positive in Bapu Dham, three recover

CHANDIGARH : After a gap of four days, Chandigarh reported six new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, taking the total count of infections in the Union Territory to 197.

The new cases comprise three females, aged 10, 29 and 60, and three males, aged 12, 48 and 60, all from the hotspot Bapu Dham Colony in Sector 26. Three patients are from one household, while two are from another family. All are contacts of previous cases, officials said.

Out of 569 tested so far, as many as 128 residents of Bapu Dham, a low-income group colony, have tested positive for coronavirus, accounting for 65% of the total cases in the city and 80% of active cases.

The first case from the congested locality was reported on April 24 when a resident who works as an operation theatre attendant at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, tested positive following which his family and community contacts were also found infected. The health department has cited non-adherence to social distancing norms as the cause of the outbreak in the colony.

Meanwhile, three colony residents were discharged from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research on Monday after two consecutive negative tests within 24 hours.

This has taken the total number of recovered patients to 54 and active cases to 140.

Those discharged are two men, aged 38 and 40, and a woman aged 19.

“I feel proud to share that the PGIMER’s resolute front-line corona warriors are diligently working round the clock to cure all the patients and send them off fully recovered,” said PGIMER director Jagat Ram.

HELP SOUGHT FROM RWAS, COUNCILLORS

The Chandigarh health department has directed all dispensaries to refer all patients showing symptoms of influenza-like illness (ILI) or severe acute respiratory infection symptoms for testing at the nearest Covid-19 sampling centre. The health department has also sought intervention from resident welfare associations (RWAs) for reporting those showing symptoms such as fever, cough, cold and difficulty in breathing in the neighbourhood.

The department has also requested councillors of all the wards or areas to disseminate awareness regarding Covid symptoms and to encourage residents to visit hospitals if they show any symptoms, for which they will be ferried in the health department’s ambulance.

NO NEW CASE REPORTED IN MOHALI, PANCHKULA

Mohali and Panchkula continued to have no new case on Monday. The last confirmed cases in Mohali were reported on May 10 and in Panchkula on May 15.

Mohali has had 105 Covid-19 cases so far, of which 100 have been discharged, a recovery rate of 95%. Three patients with comorbidities have died, and the two patients still recovering are admitted at PGIMER, Chandigarh.

Among those recovered, two were discharged on Monday. Mohali civil surgeon Dr Manjit Singh said two patients — a 26-year-old woman from Gharuan in Kharar and a Lalru man, aged 40 —were discharged from the Ludhiana civil hospital after their recovery from the virus.

Panchkula has confirmed a total of 25 cases, of which only two remain active, a recovery rate of 92%.