5 more COVID-19 deaths in Punjab; virus count now 7,140 with 234 new cases

Five more people died from the novel coronavirus in Punjab on Thursday, raising the death toll to 183 while 234 fresh cases pushed the state's infection tally to 7,140, according to a medical bulletin.

The new fatalities were reported in Amritsar, Sangrur, Ludhiana,  Kapurthala and Gurdaspur, the bulletin said.

A total of 57 fresh cases were reported in Ludhiana, followed by 42 in Patiala, 34 in Jalandhar; 16 in Sangrur; 14 in Amritsar; 10 in Mohali; nine each in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur; eight in Fatehgarh Sahib; seven in Gurdaspur; five in Kapurthala; four in SBS Nagar; three each in Moga, Rupnagar, Muktsar, Hoshiarpur; two each in Pathankot, Mansa and Faridkot and one in Bathinda.

Jalandhar Senior Superintendent of Police (Rural) and Sub Divisional Magistrate (Shahkot) also tested positive for the infection, Jalandhar Civil Surgeon Gurwinder Kaur Chawla said.

Eleven PCS (Punjab Civil Services) and other senior officers including Sangrur Civil Surgeon have already caught the infection, a government statement said.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, while stressing the need to raise the guard even further, on Thursday asked Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan to issue standard operating procedures for the government officers' meetings and visit to other offices.

A total of 117 coronavirus patients were discharged from various hospitals in Amritsar, Sangrur, Patiala, Pathankot, Faridkot, Muktsar among others after they recovered from the infection.

So far 4,945 people have recovered from the infection so far, leaving 2,012 active COVID-19 cases in the state, as of now, according to the bulletin.

Ludhiana has a maximum of 1,248 novel coronavirus cases in the state, followed by 1,048 in Jalandhar, 1,001 in Amritsar,  609 in Sangrur, 486 in Patiala, 335 in Mohali , 278 in Gurdaspur, 240 in Pathankot, 217 in Tarn Taran,  190 in Hoshiarpur, 179 in SBS Nagar,  148 in Faridkot, 143 each in Muktsar and Ferozepur, 139 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 137 in Moga, 126 in Kapurthala, 123 in Bathinda, 121 in Rupnagar, 102 in Fazilka, 71 in Barnala and 56 in Mansa, the bulletin said.

Eleven patients are critical and on ventilator support while 51 are on oxygen support, according to it.

A total of 3,69,425 samples have been taken so far for COVID-19 testing, the bulletin said. 

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