Another man tests coronavirus positive in Dera Bassi; Mohali now has 37 cases, highest in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 9

With the surfacing of one more coronavirus positive case in Jawarpur village of the Dera Bassi block of Mohali district, the total tally in the village has gone up to 22. With this the tally of Mohali district has reached 37, highest in Punjab.

The 64-year-old father of the panch has tested positive and admitted to the isolation ward of the Gian Sagar Hospital in Banur.  

The first case in the village was reported on April 4 when a 42-year-old panch of the village tested positive. Since then 21 more people — 15 of his extended family — have tested positive for coronavirus.

The health authorities had collected 118 samples from the village to check the community spread, and 11 samples tested positive on Wednesday. Four of them are from the panch’s family. As many as 80 samples were negative and the results of 75 samples are awaited.

After the village became the new disease hotspot, the district administration has sealed it along with other villages, including Devigarh and Mehmudpur, deploying 75 cops with three PCR vehicles to ensure no movement.

Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan said none of the 22 patients had a travel history. He said most of them were asymptomatic and detected only through testing and added that some Tablighi Jamaat members had stayed in the village, but left before anyone could get information about them.

Dayalan said the panch came in contact with his factory workers, who had met the Tablighi Jamaat members, which led to spread of the virus. He said so far they had traced 142 contacts of the 37 positive patients in Mohali district, which would help in containing the spread of the virus. All 22 cases have been admitted to the isolation ward of the Gian Sagar Hospital in Banur.

The DC said, “Let me reiterate, this is because we have been doing extensive sampling – not just quarantine. For each positive contact we’ve been tracing, and testing 25-55 people. We are not hiding the numbers. We are fighting the invisible enemy and winning against the disease by making it visible through extensive testing. There is no need for panic but I will stress the need for taking all precautions as mandated by the government.”