Bathinda, May 11

Bathinda district witnessed 179 Covid deaths and around 8,000 cases in the first 11 days of this month.

The high death rate has worried city residents. Bathinda witnessed the highest single-day spike of Covid deaths as 27 fatalities and nearly 700 new cases were reported on Tuesday and now, the active cases stand at 6,714 in the district.

4 test positive at cancer institute

• Two staffers and a patient at the Advanced Cancer Institute (ACI), Bathinda, are among four persons who have tested positive
• Experts had already cautioned that starting the Covid care facility in ACI would expose patients and staff members to virus
• Defending the move, Medical Education and Research Minister OP Soni said the Covid facility wouldn’t impact cancer patients

This means that an average 15 to 16 persons are losing their lives daily in the district due to Covid. The number of positive cases has also gone up significantly this month. In April, 8,942 Covid cases were reported whereas in just 11 days of this month, the district has reported 8,079 cases.

The condition is worrisome as 96 per cent of level-3 beds in the district are occupied. Punjab Medical Education and Research Minister OP Soni said the positivity rate stood at 23.48 per cent of the total collected samples in Bathinda. Therefore, the situation demanded increasing the level-2 and level-3 beds for the treatment of Covid patients.

“Despite our efforts, we have only been able to arrange 70-75 level-2 beds in newly the constructed AIIMS, which will be made available soon,” he said.

DC B Srinivasan held a review meeting with officials and took stock of sampling and vaccination drive in the district. — TNS