Jharkhand CM Soren requests Centre to distribute free ration in state for next 6 months

In the wake of ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the state, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday requested the Centre to distribute free ration to the people of the state for the next six months. The Chief Minister wrote a letter to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in this regard.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand government has decided to permit some additional activities, including the online sale of essential and non-essential items by e-commerce and opening stadiums and sports complexes without spectators.

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"It has been decided to permit some additional activities, including the online sale of items (essential and non-essential) by e-commerce, opening stadiums and sports complexes (without spectators) and walking, jogging, running and exercising in open spaces," Soren said in an order.

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COVID-19 cases in Jharkhand

Forty-two more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Jharkhand on Thursday, taking the state's tally to 2,261, a bulletin issued by the state government said. 30 patients were discharged from various hospitals on Thursday, it said. So far, 1,605 of the infected have been recovered. The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 644 and fatalities at 12, it said.

Four deaths were reported in Ranchi, two each in Bokaro and Hazaribag and one each in Giridih, Gumla, Koderma and Simdega, it said. A total of 1,31,813 samples have been collected, of which 1,31,169 have been tested, the bulletin added. 

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(With inputs from ANI) (Image PTI)