Coronavirus cases see surge in Patiala

Tribune News Service

Patiala, November 18

It seems the second wave of Covid-19 has begun in the city with the surge in positive cases. Once again, over 100 positive cases were reported in the city today.

As many as 108 people were found infected with the disease, said the Health Department. Notably, Patiala reported 112 coronavirus cases on Sunday.

Worryingly, the positivity rate has also doubled over the last few days. As per the Health Department, the number of positive cases had doubled in a week. In fact, around 520 cases were detected during the last week while 18 people succumbed to the virus.

The Health Department, however, blamed people for the surge in positive cases because they stopped following the Covid guidelines. Health officials said people were not wearing masks at public places despite repeated reminders.

The Patiala Civil Surgeon, Dr Harish Malhotra, said cases were rising continuously, which was a cause of concern. “If people don’t wear masks or maintain social distance, positive cases are bound to rise. It is high time that people should follow the guidelines seriously,” he added.

People, once again, had stopped coming for Covid testing despite having symptoms, he said.

Until now, 13,757 people have been found infected with the disease while 404 lost their lives due to the coronavirus in the city. Meanwhile, a health official said, “Covid deaths indicate that the virus is still active and real. The number of daily positive cases will be much higher if coronavirus testing is done extensively.”