Two more test positive for COVID-19 in Bihar; total reaches 66

Two people tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar on Monday, taking total number of cases in state to 66, a top official said. Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar said a 40-year-old man from Nalanda district, who had returned from Dubai on March 23, has tested positive. district had earlier reported two cases, both of whom have recovered.

In addition, a 34-year-old man tested positive in Begusarai, raising total number of cases reported from district to seven, official said, adding that his contact tracing was being done. Alongside Munger, right across river Ganges, Begusarai is w second-worst affected district in Bihar after Siwan, which alone has accounted for 29 COVID-19 patients, over a score of m members of same family.

sole fatality due to disease in state was a 38-year-old from Munger who suffered from renal failure and died a day before reports confirmed that he was COVID-19 positive. district w has active cases. In Begusarai, however, only one patient has recovered so far. Four boys in ir teens had tested positive last week though ne of m had a travel history. administration had learnt that y used to spend a lot of time at a local mosque, triggering speculations that y might have come in contact with those associated with Tablighi Jamaat.

However, ne of attendees of congregation at Nizamuddin in national capital tracked down in state, including foreign nationals, has tested positive so far. Altoger, 26 COVID-19 patients have recovered in Bihar so far, Kumar said, pointing out that state was second only to Kerala in terms of recovery rate. Till date, 7,263 samples have been tested at four facilities in state. Meanwhile, testing of samples also commenced at SKMCH in Muzaffarpur on Monday, state Health Minister Mangal Pandey anunced. At least 17 samples were tested re on inaugural day.