First casualties in Khunti, Jamshedpur; 3 deaths take Covid toll to 18

Ranchi: Three persons afflicted with the novel coronavirus died in Jharkhand in the biggest one-day spike in Covid-19 death toll. While East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur) and Khunti district recorded their first casualties, the toll in Shaibganj along the border with Bengal is now two. All the deceased were above 55 years in age and were admitted to hospital with other comorbidities.
Meanwhile, with 42 fresh cases in 24 hours (six reported late on Friday night), Jharkhand’s total caseload now stands at 2,739, of which 686 are active, 18 have died and 2,035 have recovered (including 34 on Saturday).
Among the casualties, two patients died at Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (Rims) and another at death at Tata Main Hospital, Jamshedpur. “A 66-year-old woman from Sahibganj and a 55-year-old man from Khunti died at our Covid-19 block in the early hours of Saturday. The woman was admitted with chronic kidney diseases and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome on Friday in a critical situation and the man was suffering from pneumonia and Cushing syndrome since June 19,” said a Rims official.
In Jamshedpur, a 72-year-old cancer patient succumbed to the infection. “The patient who was admitted to TMH’s CCU for a week succumbed to the viral infection. The patient was under medication for two years,” said an IDSP official.
Among the fresh cases, East Singhbhum recorded 13 new infections, Ranchi six, Dhanbad four, Palamu, Deoghar, Hazaribag, Saraikela two each and Giridih, Bokaro, Lohardaga and Pakur one each.
Two of the infected persons infected in Dhanbad are journalists — the first scribes in the state to test positive. “More than 100 journalists have come in contact with the duo and all of them have quarantined themselves at home,” said a district administration official.