Punjab: 860 test positive for Covid in Mohali; one death takes tally to 487

Mohali district recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in a single day on Thursday with 860 people testing positive for the infection. The district tally rose to 33,844, with 5,225 active cases. A Covid-related death was also reported, taking the number of fatalities to 487.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Girish Dayalan said 472 patients were deemed cured and discharged from hospitals and home isolation. He added that a total of 28,132 patients have been cured so far.

Speaking further, Dayalan said that on Thursday, a maximum of 399 cases were reported from Mohali (Urban), followed by 196 from Dhakoli, 147 from Kharar, 47 from Derabassi, 34 from Gharuan, 11 each from Lalru, Kurali and Boothgarh and four from Banur. Dhakoli was declared a containment zone earlier this week. The administration is looking to increase the number of containment zones in the coming days.

District finds ease in low CFR

With the steep rise in Covid-19 cases in the past one-and-a-half month, the district saw an ease in the fact that the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) here is the second lowest in the state. Officials said the district had a CFR at 0.8 per cent for the last two weeks, while Hoshiarpur district has the highest CFR in the state at 5.5 per cent.

The Central team, however, has called out the district administration on various grounds, including issues of coordination with the UT, inadequate manpower for contact tracing and absence of government facility.

DC Girish Dayalan said that contact tracing for every positive patient is the highest in the state with an average of 20 contacts traced.

Meanwhile, the DC also said that the district has the highest testing sufficiency in the state at 2,686 tests per million.

Speaking about the number of beds in government and private hospitals here, the DC said that the district has 413 beds in private hospitals of L-2/L-3 and 93 beds are vacant, while government hospitals have 65 beds which include 20 in Dhakoli for L-2.

Over one lakh people vaccinated in district

Mohali has vaccinated over one-lakh people since March this year. Civil Surgeon Dr Adarshpal Kaur said that till April 15, at least 1,03,347 beneficiaries have been given doses, out of which 37,557 are senior citizens. A total of 3,413 beneficiaries were given the doses on Thursday.

She said that injections of Covishield and Covaxin are being given at present.

Praising the entire health care staff for this achievement, the civil surgeon said that all the health workers including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff have been risking their lives to save the lives of the people. “They deserve praise for the hard work being put in to curb the further spread of the pandemic,” she said.

She further appealed to all eligible persons to get vaccinated without any fear.

Dr Adarshpal Kaur said the medicine has no side effects, adding that the fact that one lakh people in the district have been vaccinated so far proves that more and more people are reaching out to the health facilities for injections without any fear.

The surgeon, however, reiterated the need to remain cautious and take appropriate measures. “People should cover their faces with masks while moving out and keep the necessary distance from each other. It is also important to wash hands frequently with soap and water. For any information, the health department’s helpline number 104 can be contacted.”