As the COVID-19 positive cases continue to surge in Bihar, an all-party virtual meeting called by Governor Phagu Chauhan is under way on Saturday to review the situation and take suggestions from all political parties.
Meanwhile, the State Assembly Secretariat was shut with as many as 44 staff tested COVID-19 positive in the last three days. Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha has ordered complete closure of Assembly Secretariat till April 25.
On Friday, the State government ordered the closure of gyms, sports complexes and museums till May 15 in view of the surging pandemic cases.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar too held a high-level meeting on Friday to review the steps taken so far to check the spread of the infection in the State.
“After an all-party meeting on Saturday, we’ll hold talks with District Magistrates and other top officials and then take the next course of action regarding COVID-19 in the State,” Mr. said Kumar after the meeting.
Asked, if lockdown or night curfew was in the offing, Mr. Kumar said, “everything would be discussed in the all-party meeting on Saturday and with district officials on April 18”.
Ever since, the number of positive cases and deaths increased in the second wave, Bihar is facing a huge shortage of oxygen cylinders, beds in hospitals and total mismanagement at cremation grounds.
However, the State government took prompt notice of all these issues and took immediate remedial measures to resolve them.
Everyday from Friday, three tankers filled with oxygen are coming to Patna to different hospitals of the State, and facilities for the treatment of COVID-19 patients would be started soon at two of the upcoming hospitals Medanta and Rajendra Nagar Eye hospitals with a total 150 new beds together.
Patna’s Nalanda Medical College and Hospitals has been declared as a dedicated COVID-19 hospital.
“We’re keeping tab on each and every detail regarding the COVID-19 surge and taking all possible measures for people infected with the disease,” Mr. Kumar had said.
In the last 24 hours, altogether 6,253 new positive cases were detected in Bihar. As many as 1,688 deaths have been reported so far with 112 deaths in last 16 days. The Total number of active cases in the State is 33,465 and the recovery rate is 88.57%.