5,964 with travel history under lens as Punjab reports Covid case

Amritsar

The state’s first Covid-19 (coronavirus) case was reported in the city today. The patient is a Hoshiarpur resident and is based in Italy. He was tracked along with another traveller at Amritsar airport earlier last week. Both were admitted to Government Medical College here.

Tracked at airport

The patient is based in Italy. He was tracked along with another traveller at Amritsar airport earlier last week

They tested positive in the preliminary test conducted by AIIMS, Delhi; their samples were sent to Pune Institute for confirmation

Both patients were tested positive in the preliminary test conducted by AIIMS-Delhi after which their samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for confirmation. The authorities said while one of them was tested positive for Covid, the second tested negative.

The Health Department has also issued a bulletin after receiving the report from the NIV. As per the bulletin, 10 patients are under observation at hospitals in the state. Out of them, one from Amritsar has tested positive. Government Medical College, Amritsar, alone has seven patients.

The bulletin revealed that a total of 5,964 persons with travel history of affected countries have been identified in the state. Apart from the 10 kept under observation at hospitals, 1,388 are under observation at their homes and the government is monitoring their health.

The government disclosed that to date, 79,077 passengers were screened at airports and international check posts. Of them, 52,953 passengers were screened at Amritsar international airport. Four were admitted to hospital as they showed flu symptoms.

The department, in an advisory issued yesterday, had asked the media to not to disclose the identity, age, city or nationality of the suspected and confirmed patients.

Meanwhile, the government has authorised preliminary diagnostic for Covid at the medical college here. The college authorities said at present they were running tests on three samples collected from suspected patients admitted yesterday.