Kanungo is fourth Covid fatality in Ludhiana; four contacts of infected ACP, district mandi officer also positive

cities

Updated: Apr 18, 2020 01:44 IST

Gurmail Singh, the 58-year-old revenue department Kanungo, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, died after suffering a cardiac arrest on Friday afternoon, becoming the fourth person to succumb to the disease in the district.

The official was rushed to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital on April 14 after he complained of fever, cough and difficulty breathing, and was confirmed positive for coronavirus disease on Thursday night.

According to the health department, Gurmail, a resident of Payal village in Khanna, last attended work on March 21. Even as the department has started the process to trace his contacts, it is unsure how Gurmail contracted the infection as he did not have any travel or contact history.

After Gurmail was tested positive, the health department had sent his parents, mother-in-law, wife, son and daughter to the isolation ward of the Ludhiana civil hospital.

THREE COPS AMONG FIVE NEW CASES, DISTRICT COUNT 19

The district also reported five fresh cases, which along with the Kanungo, have connection with the city’s main vegetable market that has turned out to be the Covid hotspot in the district.

Four of the five new cases are primary and secondary contacts of assistant commissioner of police (ACP, north) Anil Kumar Kohli, 52, who tested positive on April 13. He was posted at the vegetable market.

The fifth patient is district mandi officer (DMO) Jasbir Kaur.

The ACP’s contacts who tested positive are his wife Kajal (50), his driver constable Prabhjot Singh (28), Basti Jodhewal SHO sub-inspector Arshpreet Kaur (28), who was also deployed at the market, and her driver ASI Sukhdev Singh (46).

Commissioner of police Rakes Agrawal said samples of 26 contacts of ACP Kohli, including 22 police personnel, were sent for testing, of which four were found positive, including his wife and three cops. Remaining 22 samples are negative.

Around 50 people, including some from the police department, who had come in contact with the infected persons have been sampled and quarantined. The results are awaited.

Besides, the police flats near Sarabha Nagar police station, where SI Arshpreet lives, were disinfected.

Sources said ACP Kohli’s condition was serious and doctors were treating him with plasma therapy at the SPS Hospital in Ludhiana.

With the five new cases, the district count of Covid-19 patients has reached 19. While 16 patients are residents of Ludhiana district, three patients are admitted here from Jalandhar, Barnala and Ferozepur.

ANXIOUS MOMENTS IN ADMINISTRATIVE CIRCLES

DMO Jasbir’s positive results has sent the police and administration echelons in a tizzy, as top officials, including the deputy commissioner (DC) and commissioner of police (CP) have been attending meetings with the DMO. Though the vegetable market was closed down on March 31 as a precautionary measure, the officials had been reviewing arrangements and taking rounds of the market to take stock of the supply over the past several days.

On Friday, the DC, CP and the municipal commissioner got tested through rapid testing kits, and were given the all-clear.

KANUNGO CREMATED

Kanungo Gurmail Singh was cremated later on Friday at his native Payal village. His son, along with two other relatives, were allowed to attend the cremation under the supervision of health and administration officials.