DM declares Patna City Covid-19 hotspot

PATNA: On a day the state capital recorded its highest number of Covid-19 cases so far at 127, Patna DM Kumar Ravi on Thursday declared Patna City as a Covid hotspot and directed the sub-divisional officer to seal the areas with immediate effect.
The DM’s order came after 63 new cases were reported from Patna City in the past 24 hours —50 from Khajekalan area, 10 under Chowk police station and three in Alamganj.
Thursday also saw the state again breach its single-day coronavirus tally record with 478 people testing positive, taking the total number of registered cases to 10,683 in Bihar. Five deaths were also officially reported by the health department, taking the toll to 78. However, 7,944 people patients have recovered so far and the active cases stand at 2,659.
“The Patna City area will be barricaded and containment zone banner will be placed, with no unchecked internal and external movement of the population from these zones,” DM Ravi told TOI, adding contact tracing is being done and the civic body has been asked to sanitize the containment areas, which will remain sealed for 14 days.
Patna City SDM, Rajesh Roshan told TOI that all market places, including Meena Bazaar, Shikarpur, Patna Sahib Station market, Khajekalan and Chowk have been closed. “Now we are sealing several areas in Patna City, including Chamdoria, from Bouli mor to Shahid Bhagat Singh Chowk and Paschim Darwaza to City Chowk, to prevent spread of the contagion.
He added, “All shops will remain closed except medical shops and essential goods shops. The vegetable and fruit sellers will move in the area.”
According to the DM, there are about 4,600 houses in Khajekalan area with a population of around 21,500. He assured people that there was no need to be afraid and appealed to maintain social distance, use masks and sanitizers.
Covid-19 cases were also reported from important residential areas in Patna such as Kankarbagh, where eight people tested positive for the virus, followed by Boring Road which registered six new cases. Other city localities which reported coronavirus cases include Buddha Colony, Krishna Puri, Patel Nagar, Bhootnath Road, Digha, Kadamkuan, Karbigahiya and Gola Road.
Covid-19 cases were also reported from Danapur, Sipara, Maner and Fatuha in Patna. The district also reported the death of a 66-year-old man who hailed from Masaurhi and took the toll to 10. Coronavirus cases were reported from across 27 districts.
DM Ravi said contact tracing of all positive cases will be done. Apart from Patna, one death each was also reported from Bhojpur, Kishanganj, Muzaffarpur and Rohtas. State health secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh said all the deceased were having comorbidity.
Two of these Covid-19 positive people died at the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, including the Masaurhi deceased. NMCH epidemiologist-cum-nodal officer (Reporting Cell) Dr Mukul Kumar Singh said the Bhojpur deceased was 75 years old and was admitted on June 29.
Lokesh said in the past 24 hours, 183 people have recovered, and in the same time period, 317 new cases have been registered. He said 2,35,980 samples have been tested so far, including 7,291 samples which have been tested in 24 hours.