22 US deportees among 64 fresh COVID-19 cases in Haryana; tally rises to 1,131

Chandigarh, May 23 () As many as 64 people, including 22 who were part of a group of Indian nationals recently deported from the US, tested positive for COVID-19 in Haryana on Saturday, taking the state's tally to 1,131, officials said.

The state's worst-hit Gurgaon, Faridabad and Sonipat districts reported 25 fresh infections, they said.

A total of 76 people from Haryana were part of a group of over 160 Indians who were deported from the US earlier this week. They reached Amritsar in Punjab on a special chartered flight with others and were later brought to Panchkula.

"Twenty-two of these 76 who were tested have been found COVID positive," Health Minister Anil Vij told reporters.

Most of the deported Indians had tried to enter the US from its southern border with Mexico and had exhausted all legal options before they were deported.

Gurgaon reported 12 cases, Faridabad 10 and Sonipat three, a state health department bulletin said.

Panipat reported seven cases; Jind and Hisar three each, Bhiwani two, and Palwal and Karnal one each, it said.

According to the bulletin, Haryana has 365 active COVID-19 cases. The state has a recovery rate of 66.31 per cent, fatality rate of 1.41 per cent and tests per million being conducted are 3,709.

Haryana has recorded 16 COVID-19 deaths so far. SUN VSD DIV DIV