AMRITSAR, JALANDHAR, LUDHIANA AND PATHANKOT ARE PUNJAB’S PANDEMIC HOTBEDS

Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Pathankot top chart, with number of cases in latter doubling in last 11 days

CHANDIGARH: The Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Pathankot districts continue to remain Punjab’s Covid-19 hotbeds, with the four reporting a lion’s share of the total confirmed cases in the state in the last two weeks.

An analysis of the data available with the state health and family welfare department reveals that the four districts witnessed the maximum rise in positive cases since June 1 while the number of infections in Pathankot got more than double since.

Of the total 624 cases in the state since June 1, as many as 387 were reported in these four districts.

With an average 14 cases a day since June 1, Amritsar, which is already on top of the chart of total cases, has witnessed the majority of fresh cases at 152. The district has topped the state’s tally of infections for over one-and-ahalf-months since a large numbers of pilgrims who returned from Maharashtra’s Nanded were tested positive.

Amritsar is followed by the state’s industrial hub, Ludhiana, which reported 102 cases during the same period.

In terms of the total number of cases, Jalandhar continues to remain on the second spot with 71 infections since June 1.

ACCOUNT FOR 68% OF ACTIVE CASES

Of a total of 569 active cases in Punjab at present, Amritsar, Jalandahar, Ludhiana and Pathankot account for 68% infections at 160, 59, 111 and 57, respectively.

Interestingly, the SBS Nagar and Mohali districts which stayed on the top of the chart of positive cases initially, have succeeded in flattening the Covid-19 curve. Since June 1, SBS Nagar recorded only 10 cases whereas SAS Nagar registered 29 fresh infections.

State health department’s Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar said, “The violation of social-distancing norms has been the main reason behind the surge in cases. In the past 15 days, we have come across many instances wherein a positive patient infected 10-15 persons.”

“Another reason behind the spike in cases is their early detection. Around 200 cases in the past 10 days are those wherein patients came from abroad or from outside the state. Also, a significant increase in testing in the last 10 days is also showing a surge. Today, we conducted a record 9,000 tests in a single day,” the state nodal officer further said.

The health department has conducted 66,646 tests this month so far.

14 DEATHS IN 11 DAYS

As many as 14 infected persons have died in Punjab since June 1 even as the state continues to have one of the best mortality rates in the country.

But health officials say in all these cases the patients were having serious co-morbidities and were aged above 60. They also declines community spread in any part of the state.