Patiala health workers collect swab samples for Covid testing at government dispensary on Monday. (Express photo by Harmeet Sodhi)
Punjab on Monday recorded 411 new cases of novel coronavirus driving up the state’s total tally to 10,510. Eight more deaths were reported, taking the total death toll to 262.
Nineteen of the total 22 districts reported new cases on Monday, 12 of them in double digits. As per the bulletin, maximum new cases were reported from Patiala (94), followed by Ludhiana (83) and Amritsar (37). There were 49 contacts of positive cases in Patiala, 38 new cases about which source of infection was not immediately known and seven fresh cases of interstate travel history.
The district which reported deaths were Gurdaspur (men aged 55 and 74), Moga (66-year-old woman), Ludhiana (35-year-old man), Sangrur (57-year-old woman), Pathankot (33-year-old man), Amritsar (62-year-old man) and Mohali (65-year-old woman).
Prisons dept’s new anti-Covid plan
The Punjab Prisons Department has chalked out a three-pronged strategy to effectively combat the Covid-19 situation in prisons across the state. As part of the strategy, random testing of prisoners began in jails on July 19.
“Resultantly, 5,479 prisoners have been tested and reports of 4,287 prisoners have come out negative and reports of rest of the prisoners are still awaited,” said an official government spokesperson.
He added:”A state-level monitoring team and district-level monitoring teams have already been constituted to monitor the situation and address the problems being faced by the staff as well as prisoners in day-to-day functioning at the ground level.”
According to the spokesperson, “In compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court, around 11,500 prisoners have been released on parole/interim bail since March, 2020 as per the recommendations made by the high powered committee constituted by the apex court. Besides, 6 special jails have been declared (Bathinda, Barnala, Patti, Pathankot, Ludhiana, Women Jail Ludhiana) to admit all new admission prisoners, only after getting tested for Covid.
After having been quarantined in Special Jails for 14 days, they are re-tested, and then sent to regular jails in case their report comes to be negative.”
In wake of maximum COVID cases coming from Ludhiana, District Jail, Sangrur has been vacated to further quarantine all the prisoners of Special Jail Ludhiana for 14 days, re-test them for third time, and then send to regular jails. As part of creating awareness amongst the prisoners, posters and banners depicting causes, symptoms, prevention, screening and treatment have been circulated in jails. Prisons staff and medical officers are also being imparted proper training and the premises of jail are regularly disinfected to ensure safety of prisoners.
Apart from oxy-meters, 7,000 litre sanitser, 50,000 masks made in jails and equivalent number provided by NGOs have been made available in prisons.
The spokesperson further said that “at least 2 masks have been provided to each prisoner and special care is being taken of high-risk prisoners. To keep the further spread of contagion under check, interviews (mulakaats) have been completely suspended and these are now being done through WhatsApp video calling, in addition to eMulakaat through ePrisons software. Detailed instructions have already been issued to all the prison officials to avoid going to places other than their own homes while on leave, and in case of exigencies, they have to inform the head of the jail.”
On screening and identification, the spokesperson said that “all the prisoners are tested before admitting them in any of the Special Jails. Temporary jails have been declared in various buildings/police stations in the state to keep new admission prisoners after getting their samples for testing and till the report of test is received. Likewise, recently the testing of all officials has been made mandatory. As on July 19, as many as 1362 officials have been tested, out of which reports of 564 have been received and 7 found positive and reports of 821 personnel are still pending.”
2,365 rapid antigen tests conducted
Punjab, meanwhile, has started Rapid Antigen testing in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala, Ludhiana and Mohali, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu has said.
He said that total of 2,365 rapid antigen tests have been conducted in these districts so far, out of which 197 found positive and 2,168 tested negative. He said that three more districts namely Kapurthala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Ropar have been instructed to commence this exercise to expedite the testing process.
According to the minister, rapid antigen test kits are for qualitative detection of specific antigens to SARS-CoV-2. It provides test results within 30 minutes. He said that those who are found to be positive by antigen test will be taken as confirmed positive while those who tested negative in the antigen test will be re-tested by CB NAAT/TruNat/RT-PCR.