With 969 pilgrims, who returned to Punjab from Nanded (Maharashtra), testing positive for Covid-19, Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, on Wednesday warned of a high risk of spread of the infection in the state from those returning to the state from abroad.

Participating in a Video Conference of chief ministers of Congress-ruled states with party president Sonia Gandhi, along with former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi, Amarinder said there had been a spike in cases in the state after Punjabis residing outside Punjab started coming back from Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

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Of the 4200-odd persons who had returned from Nanded, 969 had tested positive, though only 23 of them were symptomatic. Punjab has reported 1451 positive cases with 25 deaths (mortality rate of 1.72 per cent).

Warning of a high risk of spread of infection in the state from those returning to Punjab, Amarinder said while four ships of migrants, mostly labourers, were expected to arrive in the next few days, the first plane with non-resident Indians (NRIs) was expected to reach Punjab on Thursday.

The CM said around 20,000 international travellers are expected to return to Punjab in the next three to four weeks, in addition to around 12,000 who had registered in other states for coming back.

He said 10 lakh migrant workers, of which 85 per cent belonged to Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar, had registered to go back from Punjab to their native states.

Meanwhile, Amarinder reiterated his demand that the decision on the classification of zones red, orange or green for Covid-19 cases should be left to the states who could demarcate the same “as per the ground realities”.

He cited the example of Patiala being classified as a red zone, even though Nabha – a major milk-producing area – is located in the district. Punjab state currently has four containment zones and four red zone districts. Fifteen districts are in the orange zone and the remaining three in the green one.

Pegging the April revenue shortfall for the state at 88 per cent, the CM said with all tax revenues dried up and only 1.5 per cent of the industry currently operational, Punjab was facing a difficult financial situation, which was compounded by the absence of aid from the Central government.

As against the estimated revenues of Rs 3360 Crore for April, only Rs 396 Crore had been received during the month.