In Ludhiana, a 72-year-old male patient of Mansooran village died of Covid-19 at the DMCH.(Express Photo by Gurmeet Singh)

In the second biggest spike on a single day after 203 cases of Nanded returnee pilgrims had come positive in the state, Punjab on Monday had 139 new cases, driving up the tally of novel coronavirus infection cases in the state since the outbreak to 3,279.

Three more deaths were reported — two from Amritsar, one from Ludhiana — taking the total count of Covid-19 deaths in the state to 72. Amritsar has reported 21 Covid-19 deaths and 633 positive cases, both maximum from any district in the state.

The new deaths reported from Amritsar on Monday were the men aged 66 and 85. In Ludhiana, a 72-year-old male patient of Mansooran village died of Covid-19 at the DMCH.

Four police officials from Jalandhar, a jail inmate each from Jalandhar and Kapurthala, a pregnant woman from Patiala and six tuberculosis patients from Ludhiana were among who tested positive.

Maximum 45 cases were reported from Ludhiana. Out of these 45,10 cases were reported from a ‘vehra’ located in New Janta Nagar where migrants from UP and Bihar reside. New Janta Nagar has many factories in mixed land use areas and a number of migrants living in these ‘vehras’ work in these factories. Out of 10 positive patients reported from this ‘vehra’, 6 are male patients, one is a woman and there are three minor kids (two girls and a boy).

In addition to this, another Bihari migrant who came to transplant paddy in Bohapur village in Macchiwara area has tested positive. He is 40 years old.