Punjab: 70-Year Gurdwara Priest Who Died Of COVID-19 Identified As ‘SuperSpreader’ Infecting 23 Of 33 Cases In The State

A coronavirus patient, who was the Punjab’s first fatality of Covid-19, is believed to have spread the virus to at least 23 of the state's 33 cases.

Baldev Singh, a 70-year old Sikh preacher, succumbed to high fever after a two-weeks visit to Italy and Germany. After returning from overseas trip Singh defied self-quarantine rules imposed by authorities and freely interacted with other villagers. He was found positive for Covid-19 after his death.

The preacher is said to have come in contact with close to 100 people before being tested positive for coronavirus. He and his two travel companions are believed to have visited 15 villages across the state.

Baldev Singh arrived in India with two other priests on 7 March. Since then, the state government has been tracking down persons who came in contact with them.

SAS Nagar, which has 18 cases, receives the highest number of NRIs in the state from European states and Canada due to the international airport.

On 25 March (Tuesday), the state reported 2 more cases, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 31. Of these cases, 22 cases have been traced back to. The two new cases have been reported from Hoshiarpur and Ludhiana. Authorities have traced the case to Singh.

Another Covid-19 case is reportedely the son of a priest whose father preached in the same 'dera' as Singh. As per the report, the people who came in contact with this case have been quarantined already along with his family members. The village has been sealed as well.

According to the state health department, there are around 130 suspected cases, 1,150 have been quarantined, and results of 229 other cases are awaited.

Currently, the government has asked more than 30,000 people to self-quarantine. Under complete lockdown, the state is regularly monitoring travelers who returned from abroad before the air restrictions came into play.