Curfew in Punjab has been extended till April 30 amid rising cases of the coronavirus. India is already under a nationwide lockdown till April 14, which is likely to be extended further. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting with the opposition leaders, hinted that the lockdown may be extended further as the country is dealing with a “social emergency”.
Earlier on Tuesday, Punjab registered a sharp jump in COVID-19 cases after 20 people tested positive for coronavirus, pushing the total in the state top 99. Those infected include three who attended the Tablighi Jamaat gathering in Delhi. Meanwhile, the death toll due to the virus rose to eight on Tuesday after a 65-year-old retired Superintendent engineer.
With seven new cases, Mohali with 26 patients topped the COVID-19 tally, surpassing Nawanshahr (19), another hotspot of the virus in the state. The other cases were reported from Pathankot, Moga, Mansa and Amristar. In Pathankot, six family members of a 75-year-old coronavirus positive woman, who died on April 5, contracted the infection.