Two deaths, 43 fresh cases in Punjab

14 cops quarantined in Bathinda after a bootlegger tested positive for virus in custody, police station being sanitised

BATHINDA/JALANDHAR/LUDHIANA/ AMRITSAR: Punjab on Friday reported two deaths and 43 cases of coronavirus, taking the state’s tally to 2,290. The state has so far reported 42 deaths due to Covid-19.

Amritsar topped the Friday’s chart with 12 cases followed by eight in Jalandhar, six in Ludhiana, five in Pathankot, four in Bathinda, three each in Patiala and Gurdaspur, and one each in Rupnagar and Sangrur.

Pritpal Singh, 51, a resident of Chhawani Mohalla in Ludhiana died of Covid-19 at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMC&H), said medical superintendent Dr Ashwani Chaudhary. The patient was suffering from hypertension, diabetes and renal failure and was referred from a private hospital in Model Town last night. He was put on ventilator support but could not survive. Ludhiana has reported eight Covid deaths so far.

Besides, five more people tested positive for the virus in Ludhiana.

A 60-year-old man who tested positive for the virus in Pathankot on Wednesday succumbed on Friday.

Fourteen cops of the Dialpura police station in Bathinda were quarantined after a bootlegger, who was in police custody, tested positive.

Bathinda senior superintendent of police (SSP) Nanak Singh said the accused was arrested with illicit liquor on May 23. A case was registered against him under the Excise Act at Dialpura. His samples were sent for laboratory analysis on May 25 and his report came positive on Friday.

The SSP said efforts are being made to trace the source of his infection and those who came in his contact. He said the police station is being sanitised.

Besides, three more persons, including an anganwadi worker, tested positive for the virus in the district. With this, the number of active Covid-19 cases in Bathinda has reached five.

Deputy commissioner B Srinivasan said two infected persons had recently travelled to Ambala and Delhi. A team of doctors is trying to trace possible contacts and source of their infection, said the DC.

12 MORE INFECTED IN AMRITSAR

Twelve more people contracted infection in Amritsar district. “Eight residents of Mallian and Baba Bakala, who recently returned from Mumbai and were home quarantined, tested positive. Besides, two natives of Baba Bakala, who returned from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, also tested positive,” said Amritsar civil surgeon Dr Jugal Kishore.

The report of a Tehsilpura resident, who was in touch with an infected person, also came positive. All the patients are admitted in the isolation ward of Government Medical College and

Hospital, Amritsar, and are stable, said the civil surgeon. With this, the district’s tally has reached to 374, of which 306 have been discharged and seven have died.

THREE CASES IN GURDASPUR

Gurdaspur reported three fresh cases on Friday, taking the active cases in the district to 11.

Civil surgeon, Dr Kishan Chand said fresh cases included a two youths of Khushhalpur village who had returned from Madhya Pradesh a few days ago. The third person, a 43-year-old man of Talwandi village, recently returned from Ahmedabad.

A 27-year-old man from Nangal of Rupnagar district, who came back from Delhi, also tested positive for Covid-19. He has been shifted to Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital, Banur.

EIGHT TEST POSITIVE IN JALANDHAR

Eight persons tested positive of the novel coronavirus in Jalandhar on Friday. With this, the district’s Covid count has reached 247, of which 209 have recovered and eight have died. Health officials said that seven persons who tested positive on Friday were contacts of positive patients while one patient’s source of the infection still untraced.

Patiala reported three more cases on Friday. Civil surgeon Dr Harish Malhotra said 57-yearold tested positive after his samples were taken at Mohali airport. Two other include 42-yearold from Lanja village and 18year-OPD from Haripur village after they returned from other states.

MAN FOUND POSITIVE AFTER DEATH

Five persons, including a 60-year-old man, who died on May 27, tested positive for the virus in Pathankot. Senior medical officer Dr Bhupinder Singh said three from a family of one infected person have also tested positive while a woman from Madhopur is also infected.

Meanwhile, a 62-year-old tempo driver tested positive in Sangrur.