Five more test corona positive in Punjab; tally 38

Five more tested positive for coronavirus in Punjab on Friday, taking the total number to 38 people which comprise 27 close-knit family members and friends of a 70-year-old man who died last week, health officials said.

State's first and lone coronavirus death victim Baldev Singh, who died at the civil hospital in Banga town, had returned from Germany via Italy.

Singh belonged to S.B.S. Nagar district, previously known as Nawanshahr, from where 18 people tested positive, all belonging to his family.

The other patients who came into contact with him and so far tested positive belong to Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur districts, the hub of non-resident Indians in Doaba region.

In the Friday's five positive cases, three belong to Hoshiarpur and one each from Jalandhar and Mohali. Except Mohali, the others came into contact with the death victim.

Health officials said from Hoshiarpur, the wife, the daughter-in-law and a close contact of a 68-year-old resident of Moranwali village, who tested positive last week, were diagnosed coronavirus positive.

They collected 30 more samples from Moranwali village.

In Jalandhar, a 27-year-old man belonging to Virk village in Phillaur subdivision tested positive.

He's a close contact of three members of a family related to Baldev Singh.

Baldev Singh's family members who were diagnosed positive comprised his three sons, two daughters-in-law, two daughters, seven grandchildren and three relatives.

Health Minister Balbir Sidhu said 25-30 villages in Nawanshahr, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur from where these patients came were sealed to prevent the further spread of the virus.

He said the health department is monitoring those who came or believed to have come into contact with Singh.

Singh 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. IANS