Punjab reports 381 new coronavirus cases, two deaths; state numbers inch closer to 11K

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 21

Punjab reported 381 cases of coronavirus and two deaths with 24 hours, the state’s evening bulletin said---a development that takes the state’s cases to 10,889.

Ludhiana and Patiala each reported a new death, taking the state’s death toll to 263.

Sangrur reported 74 new coronavirus cases---the highest of any district in the state on Tuesday.  Patiala (68), Ludhiana (65), Amritsar (56), Jalandhar (33) and SAS Nagar (25) also continued reporting an alarmingly high number of cases: the six districts together accounted for 84 per cent of Tuesday’s COVID-19 cases, Punjab’s COVID bulletin showed on Tuesday.

Ropar (14), Gurdaspur (10), Fatehgarh Sahib (8), Tarn Taran (5), Bathinda (5), Hoshiarpur (2), Ferozepur (2), Kapurthala (1), Barnala (1) and Mansa (1) all reported new cases.  

Thirty policemen and 16 troopers of the Border Security Force were among those testing positive.

In Sangrur, 27 policemen and 26 millworkers tested positive. OF the rest, six were OPD patients, three were healthcare workers, eight were positive cases, two were classified as ILI (influenza-like illness), and two were interstate travellers.   

Forty-four of Patiala’s 74 cases were contacts of previously diagnosed cases.  Nineteen were categorised as new cases, which means that there was neither any known contact nor travel history, and six were interstate travellers.

Sixteen of Ludhiana’s 63 cases were classified as ILI (influenza-like illness), one was a contact of a previously diagnosed case, three were healthcare workers, and two were preoperative patients.

Ludhiana now stands only a few short cases of 2,000.

Three policemen were among the 25 people who tested positive in SAS Nagar. Of the rest of the district’s cases, thirteen were classified as new cases, two were ILI, and seven were contacts of known cases.

Of Jalandhar’s 33, 18 were contacts of known cases and 15 were new cases.

Sixteen of Amritsar’s 56 were BSF personnel. Of the rest, 22 were contacts of already diagnosed patients and 10 were classified as ILI.

Hoshiapur reported 80 more positive cases later in the evening. District officials said sixty-seven of these were BSF troopers from BSF Sub-Training Centre at Kharkan Camp. The rest were from Garhshankar.  These, however, have yet to be added to the official tally.

Sixty-one people are on oxygen support and 10 people are critical and on ventilator support, the bulletin says.

Punjab’s cases have been steadily rising in July--- 48.8 per cent of state’s 10,889 cases (5,321 cases) have been reported in this month alone.

For comparison, Punjab reported 3,305 coronavirus cases in June.

Almost a quarter ---3.237--- of the state’s cases are still active.

Four districts---Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Patiala---have over 1,000 cases, and account for 56 per cent of Punjab’s cases.  

District-wise breakup of cases now stands thus: Ludhiana (1989), Jalandhar (1736), Amritsar (1348), Patiala (1081), Sangrur (827), SAS Nagar (574), Gurdaspur (322), Pathankot (291), SBS Nagar (265), Hoshiarpur (288), Tarn Taran (234), Ferozepur (234), Fatehgarh Sahib (225), Faridkot (212), Moga (225), Bathinda (199), Muktsar (184), Kapurthala (158), Ropar (177), Fazilka (154), Barnala (84), and Mansa (81).

Death toll stands thus: Ludhiana (48), Jalandhar (33), Amritsar (64), Sangrur (22), Patiala (16), Gurdaspur (12), Pathankot (10), SAS Nagar (12), Hoshiarpur (10), Kapurthala (8), Tarn Taran (6), Moga (5), Bathinda (4), Ferozepur (4), Fatehgarh Sahib (2),  Muktsar (1), Barnala (2), SBS Nagar (2), Ropar (1) and Fazilka (1).