20 more die as Covid cases cross 64,000-mark in Bihar

PATNA: The state reported 2,701 fresh cases and 20 more Covid deaths in the last 24 hours on Wednesday. The number of deaths surpassed the previous single-day record. Total 64,732 people have tested positive for the virus and 369 patients with coronavirus have died in Bihar so far. Noted surgeon Dr RB Jha of Bhagalpur died on Wednesday, taking the death toll of doctors to 16 in the state. Six of the deceased in the last 24 hours were from Patna, which has reported 60 Covid deaths so far.
A 10-day-old male child was found infected and admitted at AIIMS-Patna. With 42,370 recoveries, there were 21,991 active cases in state, which surpassed its previous one-day record of samples testing as 51,924 people were tested in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of tested samples to over seven lakhs across the state.
State IMA senior vice-president Dr Ajay Kumar said Dr Jha, 70, died at JLNMCH in Bhagalpur.
As per the health department’s data, six deaths were reported from Patna, two each from Jamui and Muzaffarpur and one each from Aurangabad, Banka, Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Gaya, Jehanabad, Madhepura, Munger and Vaishali.
AIIMS-Patna covid-19 incharge Dr Sanjeev Kumar said five deaths were reported there, including a 54-year-old male of north SK Puri, a 65-year-old man from Patliputra Colony and a 55-year-old man of Sabazpura in Phulwariusharif. Two other deceased were from Bardiha and Ramadi in Rohtas.
A newborn, who was admitted on July 30 at AIIMS-Patna after testing positive, was discharged on Wednesday.
NMCH nodal officer (reporting cell) Dr Mukul Kumar Singh said three Covid patients died there. “One was a man (58) from Koilwar in Bhojpur with a medical history of hypertension. Another man (65) was from Chand Sarai in Jandaha in Vaishali. He had a medical history of hypertension, TB and diabetes. The third deceased was a man (54) from Baithi in Goriya Kothi area of Siwan district. He had hypertension and pneumonia,” said Dr Mukul.
As per the health department, 478 cases were registered in Patna on Wednesday, taking the district tally to 10,989. However, with 7,128 recoveries and 60 deaths, active cases stood at 3801 in the district. Other districts with large number of Covid-19 cases included Katihar (196), Samastipur (164), Vaishali (104), East Champaran (103), Begusarai (99), Bhojpur (90), Muzaffarpur (90) and Madhubani (90).
The health department reported 1610 recoveries in the past 24 hours, taking the recovery rate to 65.45%.
100-bed Covid centre inaugurated
Health department principal secretary Pratyaya Amrit on Wednesday inaugurated a 100-bed Covid health centre and a telemedicine centre in the district school at Darbhanga. District magistrate Thiyagarajan SM said all the 100 beds in two isolation wards were equipped with oxygen supply. Amrit also interacted with three home quarantined people to inquire about their health. Patients said they had been supplied with medicine kits and health workers were regularly visiting them.
(Inputs from B K Jha in Darbhanga)