DW BUREAU / chandigarh Punjab reported its sharpest single-day spike of 944 COVID-19 cases on Saturday which pushed the tally to 17,063, while 19 fatalities in the same period took the death toll in the state to 405. Ten fatalities were reported in Ludhiana, followed by two each in Amritsar and Sangrur and one each in Kapurthala, Mohali, Muktsar, Jalandhar and Barnala, according to a medical bulletin by the state government. Among the districts which reported fresh cases, Ludhiana had 166 new instances of the infection, Jalandhar 162, Gurdaspur 89, Bathinda 76, Patiala 66, Amritsar 49, Ferozepur 48, Fazilka and Sangrur 37 each, Kapurthala 35, Mohali 34, Barnala 26, Fatehgarh Sahib 21. A total of 341 patients were discharged in a day after recovering from COVID-19. So far, 11,075 people have been cured of the infection, leaving 5,583 active cases in the state, according to the bulletin. It stated that 13 patients are critical state and are on ventilator support while 145 are on oxygen support. A total of 5,92,392 samples have been collected in the state so far in the state, the bulletin said. The state's Water Resources Department has fully geared up to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The department has set up an Isolation Centre in Ranjit Sagar Dam Hospital, besides establishing a quarantine facility at Shahpurkandi Township to effectively deal with the deadly pandemic. Chief Engineer Ranjit Sagar Dam SK Saluja said that a 40-bed isolation facility has been created in the Ranjit Sagar Dam hospital and regular sanitization and disinfection of township, hospital, banks, ATMs, Security Barracks, Offices and Police Station has also been carried out at the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project Shahpurkandi township to ensure the safety of the patients, doctors, paramedical staff and employees from COVID-19. A quarantine facility for 125 people has been established with help of civil society group for the migrant labourers in the Keshav Hall, Shahpurkandi township, he said. Besides, deploying around 12 vehicles of the Ranjit Sagar Dam Project with Pathankot district administration for COVID-19 related duties, he said that around eight officers of the Ranjit Sagar Dam project are performing the duty of executive magistrate to ensure execution of directions/orders of the state government in the Pathankot district. The Chief Engineer said that SE Headquarters of Ranjit Sagar Dam has been appointed as district COVID Awareness Officer to sensitize people of the district. Various awareness material like videos, mosaic, posters etc were developed by the officer and his team to spread awareness among masses. Apart from this, a rational and scientific awareness about the spread and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic was bought among the dam employees through posters, videos, training on Diksha App and awareness camps etc. During lockdown essential services like electricity, water supply and sanitation services in Ranjit Sagar Dam township worked efficiently so as to ensure the comfort and safety of the residents of the township, he added. A special estimate for RANJIT SAGAR DAM hospital containing items like PPE kits, masks, gloves sanitizers, disinfectants, bed sheets etc. was sanctioned for the safety and security of the patients, doctors, paramedical staff and to enhance the capacity of health infrastructure at RSD project during the COVID-19. To ensure the safety of security personnel, he said, a large number of essential items like sanitizer, mask, gloves were distributed to the PESCO security personnel, local police, fire fighting staff and local media persons. (editor@dailyworld.in)