Punjab: Dead man leaves behind trail of 14 COVID-19 cases

Fourteen family members and friends of a 70-year-old man, who died due to a heart attack and had tested coronavirus positive, were also diagnosed positive in two Punjab villages, health officials said on Sunday.

Seven more people who came in contact with Baldev Singh, who had travelled to Germany and Italy, tested coronavirus positive.

Those who tested positive mostly belonged to S.B.S. Nagar district. They comprised his three sons, daughter-in-law, daughter and his granddaughter.

Health authorities carried out tests of 17 people and 14 of them have tested positive so far.

S.B.S. Nagar Deputy Commissioner Vinay Bublani said the administration has sealed Sujjon and Chikka villages from where these patients belonged to prevent the further spread of the virus.

Baldev Singh, the first death in the state, had landed at Delhi airport on March 7, and proceeded to Punjab the same day.

Doctors said he had diabetes and hypertension, and was confirmed as COVID-19 positive on March 18.

As the state's coronavirus cases spiked to 21 with eight reported on Sunday, the Punjab government on Sunday announced a compete lockdown of non-essential services as a preventive step against coronavirus till March 31, becoming the second state after Rajasthan to enforce a shutdown.

At a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, it was decided that all essential government services will continue and shops selling essential items such as milk, food items and medicines will remain open. IANS