As many as 952 patients have recovered and discharged in the last 24 hours in Punjab. Majority of those recovered are Nanded returnees who tested positive two weeks ago, leading to a major spike in state's COVID-19 d tally.
This is one of the highest number of recoveries registered across the county in 24 hours. To celebrate the same, Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh had hosted a special lunch for the recovered patients at the COVID-19 facility.
Singh told THE WEEK that the fight was not merely against the disease but also against the fear and stigma attached to it. “Every COVID survivor needs to be celebrated the same way we celebrate corona warriors,” said Singh.
The state now has 657 active cases, including the 14 new cases reported on Saturday.
“The recovery, which we believe is highest in country so far, has left authorities motivated. The battle is yet to be won. Majority of the recovered patients had contracted infection in Nanded, Maharashtra and have now tested negative”, Punjab health secretary Anurag Agarwal told THE WEEK.
The maximum patients were discharged from Amritsar, which was declared a COVID-19 hotbed. The district now just has two active cases. The state, meanwhile, has declared two districts, Fazilka and Ferozpur, COVID-free.
The state government has also decided to discharge the COVID-19 patients if they are asymptomatic for three consecutive days. As per the revised discharge policy of the state, any patient with mild /very mild/pre-symptomatic/asymptomatic can be discharged and shifted to home isolation if they do not exhibit any fever or breathlessness for three consecutive days. The recovery rate, which is over 60 per cent now, has paved way for a more eased lockdown norms.
