30% surge in +ve cases in 72 hours in Amritsar district

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 22

A sudden spurt has been witnessed in the Covid-19 positive cases in the district. The district health authorities reported a total of 117 fresh cases in the last three days, which is around 30 per cent of the 392 cases reported in February to date. Even the active case load, which hovered around 130 at the start of February, has now reached 276.

The authorities reported a total of 392 positive cases and nine deaths due to the virus. On February 20, the health authorities reported 35 cases, including 20 members of a Congress MLA Sunil Dutti’s family who had come back from Delhi after attending a marriage.

Forty cases surfaced on February 21 and on February 22, the health authorities reported a total of 37 cases, which include 26 influenza like illness cases and 11 contacts of positive patients.

The district had witnessed a peak in September, when 5,939 cases and 203 deaths were witnessed. Since then, the authorities managed to bring down the mortality rate, as only nine deaths took place in February.

With surge in cases across Punjab, the authorities warned residents against any laxity. Civil surgeon Dr Charanjit Singh said, “This is not the time to be lax. The health authorities and the state government are taking a number of steps, but residents, too, are required to take precautions and act responsibly.”

He said residents should practise social distancing, wear mask and wash hands regularly.