Coronavirus cases have now been reported from at least 41 sectors, colonies and localities since the pandemic struck the city on March 18.(Representational)
Though until the end of May, the UT administration drew comfort from the fact that most Covid-19 patients were cropping up only from Bapu Dham colony, since June, Covid-19 patients were reported in 13 new sectors and colonies from where no case had been reported until now.
Coronavirus cases have now been reported from at least 41 sectors, colonies and localities since the pandemic struck the city on March 18.
By the end of May, at least 216 of total 289 patients were residents of Bapu Dham Colony, most of which was sealed as containment or buffer zone. Since the beginning of this month, however, only 36 new cases have been reported from the colony, most of which is no longer a part of the containment zone.
With each passing day, fewer and fewer cases are being reported from the colony, with no new case reported from the area in the past two days.
In Sector 30 as well, which had the second largest population of coronavirus patients after Bapu Dham Colony until the end of May, only one new patient has been reported from the sector in June. The area had reported 21 patients until the end of May.
On the other hand, the number of cases is ratcheting up in localities where barely any or no case at all had been reported until now.
In Mauli Jagran, another congested working class neighbourhood like Bapu Dham colony, 16 patients have been reported this month, all contacts of the same family, while only one patient had cropped up from the area until the end of May.
Other such localities and colonies which have the largest burden of patients as per the data for the month of the June are Khuda Ali Sher, Daria village, Khuda Jassu and Khuda Lahora. Apart from this, eight cases have been reported from Sector 24, from where no case had been reported until the lockdown was in place.
The other new sectors into which the infection has spread in June are Sector 31, Sector 39, Sector 43, Sector 47, Sector 22, Sector 9, Sector 50 and Sector 29.
Many of these new cases have been sourced to people who had a history of travel from out of state. A few of these patients had returned from Delhi, others from Uttar Pradesh or Punjab. However, some cases have not been sourced to any relevant history of travel or contact with an infected person.
However, the Health Department is still denying the possibility of community transfer.
“There is no strong evidence for community transfer. As for cases from new areas, they are all most from people who either work outside of state or have family members living in neighbouring states who came back to visit family,” said an official from the department.
8 new cases in the city
Meanwhile, eight more Covid-19 patients were diagnosed in the city on Tuesday. These include two women, aged 26 and 29 from Sector 38, a 36-year-old man from Daddu Majra, a 48-year-old man from Mauli Jagran, a 53-year-old man, a 24-year-old woman, and a 27-year-old from Sector 29, and a 30-year-old from Sector 22.
The total tally of patients in the city is 418, with 90 active cases.