DW BUREAU / chandigarh FIVE MORE persons died due to COVID-19 in Punjab on Monday, taking the death toll to 138, while 202 new cases pushed the tally to 5,418. Three fatalities were reported in Patiala and one each in Gurdaspur and Sangrur, according to an official bulletin. Of the fresh cases, 60 were found in Sangrur, 45 in Patiala, 21 in Amritsar, 14 in Ludhiana, 10 in SBS Nagar, nine each in Barnala and Jalandhar, six in Tarn Taran, five in Rupnagar, four each in Mohali and Mansa, three each in Pathankot, Faridkot and Gurdaspur, two in Ferozepur, one each in Fatehgarh Sahib, Moga, Bathinda and Kapurthala. As many as 238 coronavirus patients were discharged from hospitals after they recovered from the infection. A total of 3,764 people have been cured so far. There are 1,516 active cases in the state as of now, according to the bulletin. Amritsar continued to top the COVID-19 tally in the state with 904 coronavirus cases, followed by 795 in Ludhiana, 712 in Jalandhar,  468 in Sangrur, 326 in Patiala, 254 in Mohali, 219 in Gurdaspur, 212 in Pathankot, 194 in Tarn Taran,  174 in Hoshiarpur, 140 in SBS Nagar,  127 in Muktsar, 111 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 107 in Rupnagar, 106 in Faridkot, 96 in Ferozepur, 95 in Moga, 91 in  Fazilka, 90 each in Bathinda and Kapurthala, 59 in Barnala and 48 in Mansa, as per bulletin. Five patients are critical and are on ventilator support while 24 are on oxygen support, as per bulletin. A total of 2,94,448 samples have been taken so far for testing. A single-day spike of 19,459 COVID-19 cases took India's tally to 5,48,318 on Monday, while the death toll climbed to 16,475 with 380 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data. This is the sixth consecutive day that coronavirus infections have increased by more than 15,000. The country has seen a surge of 3,57,783 infections from June 1 till date. The number of active cases stands at 2,10,120, while 3,21,722 people have recovered, and one patient has migrated, according to the updated data. The total number of confirmed cases includes foreigners. The gap between recoveries and active cases is 1,11,602 as of Monday, with the recovery rate now at 58.67 per cent, the ministry said. A total of 12,010 COVID-19 patients have been cured since Sunday. The graded, pre-emptive and pro-active steps taken by the government along with the states and Union territories for prevention, containment and management of COVID-19 continue to show encouraging results, it said. Meanwhile, CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO) Chandigarh has developed a technology for precision manufacturing of Safety Goggles for healthcare professionals involved in treating high viral load patients as in the case of COVID-19 pandemic. The current situation has brought out the need and significance of effective Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect the healthcare service providers, patients, and visitors from accidentally getting infected. The conjunctiva membrane, located inside the eyelid to lubricate the eyeballs, is the only exposed mucous membrane of the body. When the eyes are opened, the conjunctiva membrane is also exposed, making it an important but often overlooked entrance for viruses. The developed protective eyewear is ergonomically designed to provide full cover and efficient sealing to the eye area and would protect the healthcare professionals from hazardous aerosols as well as other suspended particles. These safety goggles are designed with flexible frame to provide tighter sealing with the skin of the face and would cover the eyes and the surrounding areas and even accommodating for prescription. (editor@dailyworld.in)