Punjab records another COVID-19 death, 8 new cases

A police officer died of COVID-19 infection in Punjab's Ludhiana on Saturday, taking the number of fatalities to 16 as eight new cases surfaced in the state, officials here said.

The state's coronavirus count now stands at 219, of which 172 are active cases, according to a medical bulletin.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Anil Kohli (52) died while undergoing treatment for the disease at the SPS hospital in the afternoon, Ludhiana Civil Surgeon Rajesh Bagga said.

It is the second death in the state within a period of 24 hours. A 58-year-old revenue official died of the infection on Friday.

ACP Kohli had tested positive for coronavirus on April 12. On Friday, the state government had decided to treat him with plasma therapy.

Among the fresh cases, six were reported in Jalandhar and one each in Mohali and Gurdaspur, as per the bulletin. Mohali topped the COVID-19 tally in the state, with 57 cases so far.

Jalandhar has reported 41 cases so far, followed by 24 in Pathankot, 19 in Nawanshahr, 15 in Ludhiana, 11 each in Mansa, Patiala and Amritsar, seven in Hoshiarpur, four in Moga, three each in Rupnagar, Sangrur and Faridkot, two each in Fatehgarh Sahib, Kapurthala, Gurdaspur and Barnala, and one each in Muktsar and Ferozepur.

One patient is in critical condition and on ventilator support, the bulletin stated. Thirty-one patients have been discharged from hospitals so far.

A total of 6,167 samples have been taken for testing in the state. Reports of 594 samples are still awaited, the bulletin stated.

Meanwhile, two people tested positive for COVID-19 in Chandigarh, taking the total count to 23 in the Union territory.

A total of 394 samples have been taken so far. Reports of 22 are awaited. Eleven patients have been discharged after being cured, the bulletin said.