Bihar logs 134 new Covid cases

PATNA: The state on Tuesday recorded 134 fresh Covid cases, the second highest single-day spike this year. On Sunday, 137 people had tested positive for the virus.
The new cases took the state's active Covid caseload to 608 on Tuesday from 546 on Monday. Patna continued to report the highest one-day cases with 67 more people from the district testing positive for the virus in the last 24 hours. The number of active cases in Patna has touched 350. The district's positivity rate stood at 1.71% as 3,911 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.
Purnia, Gaya, Muzaffarpur and Bhagalpur are also witnessing a spike in Covid cases with 13, 10, 9 and 8 people testing positive for the virus in these districts, respectively, on Tuesday. Health department sources said fresh cases were recorded in 20 districts from 53,892 samples tested in the last 24 hours. The state's positivity rate stood at 0.25% on Tuesday, a slight decline from 0.33% recorded on Monday.
Six more people tested positive in Saharsa, four in Darbhanga, three each in Begusarai and East Champaran, and two in Madhepura. One each case was reported from Gopalganj, Kaimur, Khagaria, Madhubani, Nalanda, Nawada, Rohtas, Saran, Sheohar and West Champaran districts.
Two more Covid patients were admitted to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday. The hospital had three Covid patients on Tuesday, including the one who was on oxygen support.
According to health experts, Covid-19 cases in Bihar would start declining over the next 14-15 days after the peak. "Cases have already started showing declining trend in the country by falling below the 10,000-mark," said a health expert.
Meanwhile, Patna divisional commissioner Kumar Ravi reviewed the Covid-19 situation in all the districts under the division on Tuesday. The status of grant of payment to the dependents of Covid deceased was also reviewed. It was found that after verification, ex gratia was paid to 3,406 people in Patna, 610 in Nalanda, 302 in Bhojpur, 342 in Buxar, 348 in Rohtas and 186 in Kaimur.
Ravi directed all the district officials to comply with the instructions of the government and expedite the pending cases of grant of payment to the dependents of the Covid victims as per the provisions. He said special attention should be paid to test and vaccination to contain the spread of the country. Ravi appealed to people to maintain Covid-appropriate behaviour.