Punjab on Sunday reported one more COVID-19-related death, taking the total tally to 21, besides the State saw its biggest one-day spike of 331 cases, according to an official statement.
The total number of COVID-19 positive cases have reached 1,102 in the State, with most of the new cases linked to pilgrims who had recently returned from Nanded in Maharashtra, where they had gone to pay obeisance at Gurdwara Hazur Sahib.
The latest victim, who was from Ferozepur, was being treated at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College.
The State health department said on Sunday that 75 new patients were reported from Amritsar, 62 from SBS Nagar, 46 from Hoisharpur, 43 from Muktsar, 33 from Bathinda, 24 from Gurdaspur, 16 from Ludhiana and nine from Ropar districts. The total number of active cases in the State at present is 964. As many as 117 patients have so far recovered, it added.
Meanwhile, politics surrounding the Nanded pilgrims continued as the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal leaders indulged in verbal spat over the issue.
Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu asked SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and other Akali leaders to apologies to “Sikh Sangat” for their misleading propaganda over the return of Nanded pilgrims after 20-25 sewadars of Gurdwara Langar Sahib in Maharashtra tested positive.
“In view of the sewadars of Gurdwara Langar Sahib in Nanded testing positive after tests conducted there, it was evident that pilgrims had contracted the virus before entering Punjab,” he said.
Mr. Sidhu hit out at the Akali leaders for indulging in political one-upmanship over a very sensitive issue, that too without verifying any facts. “These leaders unnecessarily hyped this issue by spreading propaganda that pilgrims are being labelled COVID-19 positive as part of a conspiracy. By indulging in politicising this issue, Akali leaders are not only trying to demoralise all corona warriors who are going beyond their call of duty to save Punjab but also giving false and fabricated comments over such a sensitive issue,” he said.
On the other hand, SAD leader and former Minister Bikram Majithia asked the Punjab government to transfer the entire Hazur Sahib pilgrims, who were quarantined in unhygienic government facilities, to Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee “sarai”, saying Sikh organisations and SAD would look after them.
Accusing the Congress leaders of playing politics on the issue, Mr. Majithia said the party would not allow Congress leaders to turn the pilgrims into scape goats to hide their own failures. “We will also not allow anyone to demean Takth Sri Hazur Sahib or the sangat which has returned after paying its obeisance,” he said.
‘Guidelines not followed’
Mr. Majithia said the Punjab government did not follow ICMR guidelines while repatriating the pilgrims. “Air-conditioned buses were used against established norms. Social distancing was not followed. The buses came through red zones and it was because of this mishandling that pilgrims, who were in good health in Nanded for more than one month, tested positive for COVID-19 on their return to Punjab,” he alleged.
