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Bihar mandates Covid-19 negative report for travellers from Maharashtra, Punjab
Bihar’s crisis management group (CMG) on Covid-19, in its emergency meeting on Tuesday, decided to undertake a critical evaluation of the upsurge in coronavirus infections to take a call on the continuance of teaching in schools
Bihar’s crisis management group (CMG) on Covid-19, in its emergency meeting on Tuesday, decided to undertake a critical evaluation of the upsurge in coronavirus infections to take a call on the continuance of teaching in schools. The CMG gave a nod to tougher norms for those coming to Bihar from states like Maharashtra and Punjab.
After the meeting, principal secretary, education, Sanjay Kumar said that the department had asked for critical evaluation of the prevailing situation and feedbacks from various educational institutions to decide the fate of schools’ operations. Private and government schools have resumed regular classes to teach students with certain restrictions laid down to check the pandemic.
Additional chief secretary, home, Chaitanya Prasad said that the CMG has asked for strict adherence to the earlier decision to ban festive gathering to celebrate Holi at public places.
“Individuals are, however, allowed to celebrate the festivals at restricted levels,” said Prasad.
Earlier on Monday, the CMG, headed by chief secretary Arun Kumar Singh, decided that travellers from Maharashtra and Punjab were allowed to come to Bihar only on furnishing the Covid-19 negative reports from authorized pathological centres.
“Those found not carrying the reports will have to undergo Covid-19 testing at airports and railway stations from Tuesday. Anyone testing positive for the disease will be sent to isolation centres,” said an officer present in the meeting.
Soon after the meeting, the chief secretary wrote to all the district magistrates to reassess the condition of corona care centres in their respective areas and keep them ready with all the required resources. The CMG took stock of the state’s preparedness to deal with any eventuality in view of the second wave of Covid-19 cases in ten states, including Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Officials said that the Covid-19 surge in the state was not alarming in Bihar yet. “With 26 new cases of Covid-19 infection detected on Monday, there are a total of 327 active cases in the state. On Sunday, 50 people were found to be positive for the disease and are being treated. The health department had conducted testing of more than 33,000 people across the state for Covid-19 on Monday,” said a senior officer of the health department.
As per the government’s data, 13 out of 26 cases of people suffering from Covid-19 were detected in Patna. Two patients were found positive for the infection in Bhojpur and Munger, while one person each was detected positive in the districts like Aurangabad, East Champaran, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Madhupura, Madhubani, Samastipur and Supaul during the testing on March 15.
Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra on Tuesday raked up the burgeoning fear of the second wave of Covid-19 in Bihar in the legislative council through an adjournment motion. Mishra’s motion was rejected by working chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh. Health minister Mangal Pandey, however, stated that the health department machinery was geared up to meet any eventuality.
