CHANDIGARH: Even as Punjab is struggling to control the Covid fatality rate, the death toll of 10 districts has remained unchanged for a week now as no patients have succumbed to the virus there.
The health experts of the state can heave a sigh of relief as the list includes six districts having fatality rates higher than the state’s death rate of 3.2%. Since September the Punjab’s mortality rate is higher than the national average.
Tarn Taran, which has the highest fatality rate of 5.1% in the state, reported no death and added just four fresh positive cases in the last seven days. The other districts with no deaths include Ferozepur, Pathankot, Sangrur, Muktsar, Moga, Fatehgarh Sahib, Barnala, Nawanshahr and
Patiala. Besides, two districts reported one death each while two patients each died in two districts.
Of 49 deaths reported in a period of seven days, six districts accounted for 76% of total deaths with Mohali and Hoshiarpur contributing nine and seven deaths to the count, respectively. After a long time, Moga became the first district to report no death in a 30-day period as on February 3.
Punjab Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar termed it as a good sign and said they are hopeful of bringing the fatality rate under control. “The government is making every possible effort to save lives,” he said.
As on February 3, as many as 321 patients out of 2,130 active cases are in critical condition.