Coronavirus: Punjab reports 2 deaths, 76 new cases; toll rises to 85

Tribune News Service
Moga/Ludhiana, June 19 

Punjab on Friday reported the death of two more coronavirus patients and 76 new cases of the disease, taking the state’s COVID toll to 85 and case tally to 3,691.

Moga and Ludhiana each recorded a death.

Jalandhar reported the biggest single-day spike so far as it recorded 76 fresh cases, taking the district's case tally to 494. 

A 33-year-old COVID-19 patient died in Ludhiana on Thursday night. The patient was a resident of Barnala and was admitted to the Guru Teg Bahadur Charitable Hospital in the city.

The man had tested positive for the contagion on Thursday.

“It is for the first time that a young patient has lost his life. Generally, young people are known to have more immunity but, in this case, the patient succumbed to COVID-19. Everybody should be extra careful and take all the precautions and never think that since they are young they can do without precautions,” said Civil Surgeon Dr Rajesh Bagga.

The information about other health-related issues are yet to be known, said the Civil Surgeon.

A 50-year-old resident of Moga, who had tested positive for coronavirus, died while he was under treatment for liver disease at the Mohandai Oswal Cancer Hospital in Ludhiana, said Health Department officials.

Chief Medical Officer, Moga, Dr Amarpreet Kaur Bajwa, said that the deceased used to live near the Chintpurni Mandir, Ward Number-17 in Moga.

He was a chronic Hepatitis-C patient because of which his liver was damaged and he was taken to the cancer hospital in Ludhiana on Thursday.

As per the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Health, the hospital authorities took his samples to check for coronavirus before admitting him to the hospital. The man tested positive and passed away on Friday morning.

Dr Bajwa said that a team of the health officials has been sent to his home to collect the samples of his family members and begin contact tracing.

Meanwhile, the district administration has sealed the locality in which he lived and has asked residents to remain indoors.

Moga has reported 75 cases so far, out of which 70 have been cured, four are active and one patient has died, health officials said.