India reported its fourth COVID-19 death on Thursday, with a man in Punjab who passed away on Wednesday tested positive for the disease. The 72-year-old man had returned from Germany via Italy a fortnight ago and died at a hospital in Punjab's Nawanshahr district after severe chest pain, senior officials said on Thursday. The Union Health Ministry confirmed his death on Thursday afternoon. The death count in India due to the disease now stands at 4.
The septuagenarian, who had diabetes and hypertension, tested positive after he died at the Banga community health centre on Wednesday, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Director Jagat Ram said. When contacted, district civil surgeon Rajinder Prasad Bhatia said the man had arrived from Germany via Italy on March 7.
The resident of Banga came to the health centre with severe chest pain on Wednesday and immediately collapsed. He died later in the day, Bhatia said.
"The sample of a 72-year-old man from Nawanshahr has tested positive," PGIMER Director Ram Director Jagat Ram told PTI on Thursday, adding that the report came on Wednesday night.
State Principal Secretary (Health) Anurag Aggarwal confirmed that the sample of the Banga resident had tested positive. Punjab had earlier reported a confirmed case of coronavirus.
This is the fourth death in India due to COVID-19. The first death was in Kalaburagi, where a 76-year-old man who died was tested positive, followed by a 68-year-old woman in Delhi and a 64-year-old patient in Mumbai who died of the disease.
The number novel coronavirus cases rose to 169 on Thursday after 18 fresh cases were reported from various parts of the country, according to the Union Health Ministry. The cases include 25 foreign nationals -- 17 from Italy, 3 from the Philippines, two from the UK, one each belonging to Canada, Indonesia and Singapore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the nation on Thursday at 8 pm.