Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announces door to door screening in 4 districts to detect COVID-19

In a bid to contain the further spread of the novel Coronavirus, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced door to door screening of people in the four affected districts of the State, to detect persons with symptoms of COVID-19. The screening campaign will commence on April 16 thus making Bihar the first State in the country to adopt such measures to fight the virus.

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According to a press release by the CMO on Tuesday, the campaign will begin from April 16, covering the districts Siwan, Begusarai, Nalanda, and Nawada. The prime highlight of the campaign will be given to areas where the infected people were found earlier. The initiative will be run along the lines of the Pulse Polio campaign.

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Door to door screenings will be conducted in a three-kilometre radius with a special focus on senior citizens, based on the locations of the infected people that have been found as the epicentre. All people who had entered the state between March 1 and 23 will also be screened through the door-to-door method asserted by the Chief Minister.

Special training will be provided to the workers who will conduct the screening along with medical and protective equipment like masks and gloves. The Chief Minister also appealed to the people to help the frontline workers and boost their morale.

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COVID-19 cases in Bihar & hotspots

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are currently about 66 confirmed cases in the state of Bihar with 26 recovered cases and 1 fatality. The state is currently under a complete lockdown as advised by the Prime Minister and the State Government.

As per reports, on Friday the Siwan district has arisen as the coronavirus hotspot in Bihar accounting for 29 of the 65 confirmed cases. It was also reported that among the 29 cases, 20 cases belong to a single family while four others have recovered.

In a recent interview with a leading news portal, Bihar’s director-general police Gupteshwar Pandey revealed that they are keeping a close watch on the village and its adjoining areas. He also said that they have ensured a complete lockdown on the state and also one cannot move from one house to another house in any area.

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