Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi (SHP)

New Delhi, Mar 19: With India striving hard to contain the coronavirus spread, a fourth death has been recorded in the country.

A 72-year-old man who returned from Germany via Italy a fortnight ago and died in hospital after severe chest pain was found positive for novel coronavirus, senior officials said on Thursday. The man was admitted at a hospital in Punjab's Nawanshahr district. The victim reportedly also suffered from diabetes and hypertension.

The district civil surgeon Rajinder Prasad Bhatia stated that the man had arrived from Germany via Italy on March 7. 

"The sample of a 72-year-old man from Nawanshahr has tested positive," PGIMER director Ram Director Jagat Ram was quoted in a report by PTI on Thursday. Jagat Ram also asserted that the test results arrived on Wednesday.

State Principal Secretary (Health) Anurag Aggarwal confirmed that the sample of the Banga resident had tested positive.

The number of 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.