With 2 new Covid-19 cases, Bihar’s tally rises to 85; death toll at 2
Test reports of both Covid-19 positive patients in Bihar came late on Friday night and authorities are now trying to trace the people they came in contact with, an official said.
With two more positive cases reported, the total number of coronavirus cases in Bihar rose to 85, an official said on Saturday.
Principal Secretary, health, Sanjay Kumar, said one patient is a 17-year-old youth from Bihar Sharif while the other is a 42-year-old man from Begusarai, according to news agency PTI.
Test reports of both patients came late on Friday night and authorities are now trying to trace the people they came in contact with, he added.
Bihar had reported 83 cases of the virus, after three of a family, including a six-month-old girl, from Munger tested positive late Thursday evening, taking the number of cases in the family to nine. The other two were a 55-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman.
The state has reported two Covid-19 deaths so far. A 37-year-old coronavirus patient from Vaishali, who was being treated at AIIMS-Patna and reported to be critical, died on Friday. Earlier, a 38-year old driver from Munger who returned from Qatar died at the AIIMS on March 21.
Thirty-seven patients have been cured in the state, according to the latest figures released by the Union health ministry.
Meanwhile, Bihar’s chief minister Nitish Kumar has appealed to the people to stay indoors and said the government is working round-the-clock to help those living in the state and outside as well through its disaster relief centres. He said the number of such centres will be increased whenever required.
“Please stay wherever you are. If you have any problem, please get in touch with the control room of the disaster management department or the resident commissioner office at the Bihar Bhawan in New Delhi without any inhibition any time. All possible help will be extended,” Kumar said on Friday.
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In another development, the Nitish Kumar-government allowed opening of eateries, restaurants and hotels along the highways in the state from April 20 to help drivers and other transport workers of goods vehicles, officials said on Friday, reports PTI.
However, the opening of the eateries will be subject to certain conditions, said Transport Departments Secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal.
Roadside eateries, located at least at a distance of 10 km from the district headquarters, will be allowed to function, Agarwal said, adding that the district administrations will decide where these joints will be allowed to operate. Stating that social distancing and sanitation must be ensured at the outlets, he said that there will be no sitting arrangements and the workers will have to have food inside their vehicles.
India reported 991 new Covid-19 cases, taking the tally to 14,378, and 43 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union health ministry on Saturday morning.
(With PTI inputs)
