Farmers Movement Archive

6 new cases take tally to 31

Jalandhar, April 16On March 26, the district had four cases. In the past 21 days – a labyrinthine network of Covid contacts – primarily cases of bazaar areas – has taken the district tally to 31, next only to Mohali.With the Health Department indulging in a race against time to trace Covid contacts, new cases are being reported from bazaar areas in Jalandhar every day. The two new glaring examples today include a new contact from the Basti Sheikh area and a man who claims he had only a two-minute meeting with the Mitha Bazaar deceased’s son (who is currently under isolation).The six positive cases reported today include 56-year-old husband of the Shahkot deceased woman, a 30-year-old nurse who treated her at a Model Town hospital, a 32-year-old woman contact of the Raja Garden mediaperson, a 42-year-old woman contact of the Purani Subzi Mandi woman, a 40-year-old Mittha Bazaar man, who is a contact of the city’s first deceased Mittha Bazaar chemist’s son, and a new case of 59-year-old Basti Sheikh man reported with respiratory disease.Every few days a new bazaar area is being added to the list of areas being placed under containment plans. Bazaar areas so far having been affected include – Qila Mohalla, Purani Subzi Mandi, Mittha Bazaar, Lavan Mohalla, Bhairon Bazaar, Maqsudan as well as the basti areas – Basti Danishmandan and Basti Sheikh.At least two persons from a media organisation have tested positive. Two more persons working at one of the media organisations tested positive in Himachal Pradesh last night. At least three private hospitals have directly been affected and over 20 employees of the Civil Hospital placed under quarantine.Nodal officer, Jalandhar, Dr TP Singh, said: “Six people have tested positive today, one of them, a 59-year-old man from Basti Sheikh, has no travel history. A staff nurse from a Model Town-based hospital has also tested positive. We have placed over 5,000 persons under home quarantine and more contacts are being traced out. We also began door-to-door samplings today. The department is closely tracking all prospective cases.”

The Tribune

2020-04-17