CHANDIGARH: At least 105 persons, mostly pilgrims who returned from Maharashtra's Nanded, tested positive for novel coronavirus on Thursday, marking a steep rise in the number of cases in Punjab. It is for the first time that the state has reported more than 100 COVID-19 cases in a single day.

With the fresh detections, the number of COVID-19 cases in Punjab now stands at 480.

Pilgrims coming back from Hazur Sahib in Nanded in Maharashtra, students from Kota and labourers from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan are turning out to be the latest threat for spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Of the 105 cases reported in the state, 98 are from outside.

Officials also said of those who have returned from Nanded in the past few days, test reports of 577 people have been received and 20 per cent of them were found positive.

So far, 3,525 pilgrims from Nanded and 153 students from Kota had returned to Punjab in the last few days. More than 3,000 labourers from Rajasthan have been received at Fazilka-Rajasthan border. The state government has ordered a 21-day quarantine for people coming from outside.

Meanwhile, Akal Takht Jathedar Harpreet Singh claimed there was conspiracy to malign the Sikhs over it just as the “entire Muslim community” was after the Tablighi Jamaat episode.

He claimed there was a “race to malign the entire Muslim community” over the Tablighi Jamaat episode and the “same kind of propaganda” is being carried out now.” “It is a very big conspiracy,” the religious leader said.

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