20 lose Covid battle in Punjab, death count rises to 462

CHANDIGARH: In highest single-day toll in Punjab since the pandemic, 20 died of Covid-19 even as 488 fresh cases were reported on Tuesday. Among those who tested positive were 21 police personnel and 17 jail inmates.
Punjab’s overall tally of positive cases now stands at 19,015. A total of 609 patients were discharged after recovery, taking the overall tally of patients discharged to 12,491.
Ludhiana reported the maximum number of cases and deaths in the last 24 hours. While seven people succumbed to the virus in Ludhiana, five each died in Jalandhar and Patiala and one each in Fatehgarh Sahib, Gurdaspur and Sangrur. The virus has claimed 462 lives in Punjab so far, while 25 patients in critical condition are on ventilator support and 149 on oxygen support.
For the eighth day in running, Ludhiana contributed the highest number of cases. A total of 222 cases, which accounts for over 45% of cases in the last 24 hours, were from Ludhiana, which happens to be the most populated district of the state. Of these, 49 were contacts of positive cases while 36 were co-infected with influenza-like illness (ILI).
In Amritsar, 39 people tested positive while 36 cases were from Patiala and 34 from Jalandhar. As many as 19 people were found infected in Patiala, 15 each in Mansa and Pathankot, 14 each in Bathinda and Ferozepur, 13 each in Fatehgarh Sahib and Barnala and 11 in Mohali. Kapurthala added 10 cases to the tally while six cases were from Moga, five each from Ropar and Hoshiarpur.
Fazilka reported three cases, Nawanshahr two cases and Tarn Taran and Faridkot one each.