Punjab reports 94 new coronavirus cases; 10th death in Ludhiana

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh/Ludhiana/Patiala, June 7

Punjab reported 94 new coronavirus cases, taking the state’s COVID-19 infection tally to 2,608.

Ludhiana and Patiala also reported COVID-19 deaths, although only the former has so far been recorded in Sunday’s death toll for the state.

Amritsar and Jalandhar reported a spike in coronavirus cases, together accounting for 61 per cent on Sunday’s infections. Amritsar reported 35 new cases and Jalandhar, 23.

Ludhiana (10), Patiala (7), Sangrur (5), Gurdaspur (3), Faridkot (3), Pathankot (2), Fatehgarh Sahib (1), Hoshiarpur (1),  Fazilka (1), SAS Nagar (1), and Barnala (1) made up the rest of Punjab’s COVID-19 count on Sunday, the state’s COVID bulletin showed.

Nineteen of Amritsar’s 35 new cases were contacts of already diagnosed cases, 10 were categorised as ILI (influenza-like illness), and six were self-reported cases.

Fifteen of Jalandhar’s 23 cases were contacts of already diagnosed cases. The bulletin classified the rest as new cases.

Of Ludhiana’s 10, four were auxiliary nurse   two were classified as ILI, and one was a contact of an already diagnosed case.

Fourteen of Sunday’s new cases had a record of recent travel.

Of Patiala’s seven cases, one person had recently returned from abroad and six others had a recently interstate travel history.

Sangrur’s five cases included four people who came back from other states.

Fazilka’s lone case had recently come back from Gurugram. Fatehgarh Sahib’s case had recently returned from Delhi and Hoshairpur’s patient had recently returned from abroad.

Two of Faridkot’s three cases were contacts of already diagnosed cases, as were the cases from Gurdaspur, Barnala and SAS Nagar.  

Besides, 14 other people tested positive, but these have not been counted in the state tally.

A 65-year-old woman died in Ludhiana’s Christian Medical College and Hospital on Sunday, a day after she tested positive for COVID-19.

The woman had been admitted to the hospital on June 4 with complaints of fever and breathlessness. Her creatinine levels were high at around 9.4 and she was intubated after her health declined.

This is Ludhiana’s tenth death from COVID-19.

Patiala also reported a death, although this has yet to be added to the official state count. A 46-year-old man from Nabha died at Government Rajindra Hospital on Sunday afternoon from coronavirus. His test results came back positive after his death, officials said.  An employee of Hindustan Unilever Limited, he was admitted to the hospital on Saturday.

The death, when added to the state tally, would be Patiala’s third from coronavirus.

The district-wise breakup for COVID-19 in Punjab stands as follows: Amritsar (469), Jalandhar (293), Ludhiana (242), Tarn Taran (159), Gurdaspur (151), Hoshiarpur (135), Patiala (133), SAS Nagar (126), SBS Nagar (106), Sangrur (109), Pathankot (88), Ropar (71), Muktsar (70), Faridkot (70), Fatehgarh Sahib (70), Moga (66), Bathinda (55), Fazilka (47), Ferozepur (46),  Kapurthala (40), Mansa (34), and Barnala (26).    

The state's death toll stands thus: Ludhiana (10), Amritsar (8), Jalandhar (8), Hoshiarpur (5), Pathankot (4), Gurdaspur (3), SAS Nagar (3), Kapurthala (3), Patiala (2), Tarn Taran (1), SBS Nagar (1), Ferozepur (1), Ropar (1), and Barnala (1).

Amritsar and Jalandhar together account for 29 per cent of the state's coronavirus infections.

Punjab now has 451 active cases---almost twice the number at the end of May. Eight people are on oxygen support, and three are critical and are on ventitalor support, the COVID bulletin showed.