Tribune news service
Chandigarh, September 13
Punjab reported 2,628 new coronavirus cases and 68 new deaths in a 24-hour span, a health bulletin issued by the state government said on Sunday, the highest peak of cases in a single day to date.
Punjab’s 22 districts reported new cases on Sunday, a trend the state has been seeing this month.
The bulletin showed that SAS Nagar (Mohali) had reported the highest number of cases in the last 24 hours with 433. It is also the highest number of cases reported by any district in the state so far. Patiala came in second with 327 cases, followed by Ludhiana (274), Jalandhar (252), Amritsar (188), Gurdaspur (260) and Bathinda (104).
The seven districts accounted for nearly 70 percent of Sunday’s cases.
Also, Hoshiarpur (79), Sangrur (74), Ferozepur (67), Pathankot (49), Kapurthala (64), Faridkot (71), Moga (36), Muktsar (66), Barnala (29), Fazilka (57 ) Fategharh Sahib (47), Ropar (45), Tarn Taran (25), Mansa (48) and SBS Nagar (33) reported new cases.
All districts except Muktsar and Ferozepur reported deaths. Amritsar, the once hardest-hit district in the state but has since been eclipsed, had the highest death toll with 11, followed by Patiala (10).
Barnala (1), Bathinda (6), Faridkot (1), Fazilka (3), Gurdaspur (1), Hoshiarpur (3), Jalandhar (6), Kapurthala (4), Ludhiana (5), Mansa (2), Moga (2), SAS Nagar (3), SBS Nagar (1), Pathankot (3), Ropar (2), Sangrur (3) and Tarn Taran (1) also reported deaths.
September is proving to be a devastating month for Punjab, especially in terms of deaths. The state’s fatality count is currently 2.9 percent, among the highest in the country.
Punjab’s COVID infection count is currently 79,679. The state reported 27,153 cases since Sept. 1, an increase of 151 percent from the 52,526 cases recorded as of Aug. 31. By comparison, it reported 11,817 cases in the first 13 days of August.
Punjab has reported 2,000 cases a day since September 7, and has recorded 14,096 new cases in less than a week since then.
The government expected coronavirus cases in the state to peak in September – its estimates said infections would hit 1.10 lakh this month, with 3,000 deaths. However, the state’s death count appears to contradict its own projections: The state’s death toll now stands at 2,356, a 167 percent increase from the 1,404 recorded deaths as of Aug. 31.
The Punjab government has blamed the substantial increase in cases on the misinformation campaign and the reluctance of patients to receive treatment on time.
Twenty-four percent of the state’s cases are still active. The bulletin shows that 501 people are on oxygen support and 91 people are critical and ventilator supported.
