Ludhiana district tops Punjab's COVID tally with five cases, 1 death
According to health officials, the district till Sunday had five active cases, and one death. While two of the cases happen to be the kids of the man who died of COVID on Wednesday and are reported to be asymptomatic and in quarantine, three more cases were reported on Friday and Saturday, with one 26-year-old having returned from Kerala recently and two others who had come in contact with people who had come in contact with those who recently travelled to states with more number of cases.
As per a senior health official speaking on the condition of anonymity, the latest three cases are mildly symptomatic. The department is tracing people who have been in contact with the people found positive to check a possible spread of infection.
The official also confirmed that so far, the local health department was not sending test samples to Patiala to check for the strain of the infection.
Despite having the greatest number of cases, with one death, the local health department hasn't yet issued any advisory. Some other district like Patiala have asked the district hospitals to make COVID tests mandatory for all patients complaining of fever, cold, and other symptoms.
Avoid heading out in crowded areas
While noting that the authority to issue any advisory was not available at the district level and was the prerogative of only the state or central government, Ludhiana civil surgeon Dr Ramandeep Kaur said the department through media had been asking people to exercise necessary precautions and voluntarily come in for tests if they see any symptoms.
'Ever since the first case was reported, we have been calling upon people to maintain SOPs like avoiding crowds or using masks when venturing out, special precautions for those with co-morbid conditions and age above sixty, isolation for those having symptoms, getting etc,. Even the health minister who was here earlier in the week had emphasised these precautions,' she said.
She also said the department was following the condition closely and in discussions with the higher ups may issue an advisory as soon as it is warranted.
State nodal officer for COVID-19, Dr Rajesh Bhaskar, said the situation is very normal as of now and there was no reason to worry about and that any advisory wasn't required yet.
'The situation is really normal. We have just six active cases. Kerala has over 300 cases and the government there too hasn't issued any advisory. Because the situation hasn't reached that situation yet,' he said.
It is pertinent to mention that the person who died of COVID was already suffering from a lung ailment.
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