Punjab on Wednesday reported five fresh positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the confirmed cases in the State to 46. Besides, so far four virus-related deaths had been reported.
The Health Department said one positive case from Ludhiana is a contact of a positive case. Three positive persons are from Mohali, two of them are contacts of a positive couple of Chandigarh and third is a contact of a foreign traveller. One person is positive from Amritsar, it added. The patient from Amritsar is a former “Hazoori Raagi” at the Golden Temple.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh directed the Health department to make mobile testing vans operational in all districts having pandemic hotspots to conduct community testing.
He also ordered a drive to scale up the isolation beds to 5,000 in the next few days to meet any eventuality. Though there are no confirmed estimates available, the State government is preparing for the worst case scenario, said an official statement.
Reviewing the availability of essential medical equipment to handle the cases, the Chief Minister has asked the department to order protective gear, ventilators and masks etc on priority. According to Additional Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, continuous testing of samples prepared indigenously by Punjab companies was being ensured and orders for approved equipment had already been placed.
With Punjab staring at labour shortage during the wheat harvesting season that is all set to begin, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa has asked the Chief Minister to pay individual labourers a minimum wage for the next 15 days, to ensure their financial security.
One more person tested positive in Chandigarh taking the confirmed cases to 16 in the city, said a government statement on Tuesday.
