Three new COVID-19 deaths; cases near 2,000 with 18 fresh infections in Punjab

Three COVID-19 patients including a six-year-old boy have died in Punjab, bringing the death toll to 35, while 18 fresh infections pushed the virus count to 1,964 in the state, officials said on Sunday.

A total of 109 more people were discharged from hospitals after recovering from the infection, taking the number of cured novel coronavirus patients to 1,366 in Punjab, according to a medical bulletin.

The state reported 18 fresh cases on Sunday, it said, adding the number of active cases stands at 563.

A six-year-old coronavirus positive boy, who was also suffering from a liver disease, died on Saturday at a Ludhiana hospital, a health official said.

An 84-year-old Gurdaspur man and 80-year-old resident of Batala also died of the novel coronavirus on Saturday. Both were suffering from some kidney-related problem and undergoing treatment at a Ludhiana hospital, an official said.

Of the fresh COVID-19 cases, a maximum of six were reported in Amritsar, followed by five in Ludhiana, four in Faridkot and three in SBS Nagar, taking the count to 1,964 in the state, according to the bulletin.

Five of the fresh cases were the people who returned from abroad, it said.

Thirty-six COVID-19 patients recovered from the infection and were discharged from hospitals in Muktsar, 34 in Faridkot, 18 in Jalandhar, 11 in Bathinda and five each in Patiala and Rupnagar, the bulletin said.

Amritsar continued to top the COVID-19 tally in the state with 307 cases, followed by 207 in Jalandhar, 154 in Tarn Taran, 144 in Ludhiana, 122 in Gurdaspur, 106 in SBS Nagar, 102 in Mohali, 100 in Patiala, 92 in Hoshiarpur, 88 in Sangrur, 65 in Muktsar, 59 in Moga, 60 in Rupnagar, 56 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 59 in Faridkot, 44 each in Fazilka and Ferozepur, 41 in Bathinda, 32 each in Mansa and Kapurthala, 29 in Pathankot, and 21 in Barnala, as per the bulletin.

Punjab has seen 35 coronavirus deaths. One patient is critical and on ventilator support, the bulletin said.

A total of 51,812 samples have been taken so far in the state and 47,484 of them have tested negative while reports of 2,364 are still awaited.