Punjab on Wednesday reported six fresh COVID-19 cases taking the tally to 257 even as the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (SBS) district, which reported the State’s first virus death, has no more active cases.
The Health Department said five new patients were from the Jalandhar district while one was from the Kapurthala district. Till April 22, Punjab has seen 16 pandemic-related deaths while 53 patients have so far recovered, it said.
No fresh case has been reported in the SBS district since March 26 . All the 18 positive patients undergoing treatment have recovered and since been discharged. The first victim in the State, a 70-year-old man and resident of Pathlawa village, had died on March 18.
After the 18th patient recovered, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said all those who have recovered are now a source of inspiration for other affected patients.
He said the teams from Health Department, including the district administration, had worked hard to shift the district from the red zone to the green zone.
MLA Angad Singh, Deputy Commissioner Vinay Bablani, SSP Alka Meena and civil surgeon Dr. Rajinder Parshad deserve praise for the same, he added.
Mr. Sidhu said between from March 19 to March 26, the district saw 18 cases which created an atmosphere of tension in the district hospital as well. “It became a challenge to provide quality treatment services to a large number of patients, but the medical and para-medical teams have bravely taken care of all patients,” he said.