Punjab: 8 Sikh pilgrims from Nanded test positive for coronavirus; total count 330

Chandigarh, Apr 27 (PTI) Eight of Sikh pilgrims who recently returned from Maharashtra’s Nanded tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, prompting a decision to quarantine and test all those who are brought to Punjab from re.

Meanwhile, a 63-year-old woman in Patiala died of coronavirus, taking death tally to 19 in Punjab, an official said.

With eight pilgrims found infected with virus, infection count in state has gone up to 330.

According to a medical bulletin, five of pilgrims belonged to Tarn Taran while three hailed from Kapurthala.

Around 4,000 pilgrims from Punjab, who had gone to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Hazur Sahib in Nanded, were stuck re because of coronavirus lockdown.

w, y are being brought to Punjab after intervention of Union Home Ministry.

"It has been decided to put m in a government quarantine and test everybody," Punjab's special chief secretary KBS Sidhu tweeted.

He said around 4,000 people from Nanded and 3,000 from Rajasthan's Jaisalmer have started reaching state.

Punjab government on Monday also contacted Delhi authorities for safe return of 250 Sikh pilgrims stuck at Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara.

About woman's death, an official said she was undergoing treatment at Rajindra hospital in Patiala.

Twelve coronavirus patients –six from Mohali, five from Amritsar and one from Patiala-- were discharged from hospitals, taking total number of cured patients to 98 in state, as per medical bulletin.

Jalandhar district continued to lead COVID-19 tally in state with 78 coronavirus cases, followed by 63 in Mohali.

Of rest cases, 61 cases were reported in Patiala; 25 in Pathankot; 20 in SBS Nagar; 18 in Ludhiana; 14 in Amritsar; 13 in Mansa; seven in Hoshiarpur; six in Kapurthala; five in Tarn Taran; four in Moga, three each in Rupnagar; Sangrur and Faridkot; two each in Fatehgarh Sahib and Barnala; and one each in Muktsar, Gurdsapur and Ferozepur.

A total of 15,516 samples have been taken so far in state, of which 12,333 have tested negative and reports of 2,853 are still awaited.

re are 213 active cases in state, bulletin said. PTI CHS VSD RDK

RDK