COVID-19 death toll reaches 177 in Bihar; positive cases rise to 24,967

With four new deaths, the number of COVID-19 fatalities climbed to 177 in Bihar on Saturday while the tally of positive cases was close to touching the 25,000 mark, a 2.5 times jump in just 18 days of this month.

The recovery rate in Bihar has also dropped to 63.17 per cent from 77.52 per cent on July 1. As per the health department's bulletin, the state reported 1,667 positive cases Saturday taking the total count to 24,967.

Of the four latest casualties, two were reported from Gaya while one death each came from Jehanabad and Kishanganj, the bulletin said. The health department, however, did not provide any details like age, sex, travel history and co-morbidities, if any, suffered by the deceased and whether they died before or after testing positive.

So far, Patna has recorded the highest number of 28 deaths followed by Bhagalpur (16), Gaya (13), Darbhanga (10), Muzaffarpur (eight) and East Champaran, Begusarai, Samastipur and Nalanda (seven each).

With a massive 1,667 cases in a single day, the count of positive cases reached 24,967, the department said. The number of total positive cases in Bihar has mounted to 24,967 from 10,075 cases on July 1, an increase by 2.5 times in merely 18 days.

If one compares it with the figure a month ago, the rise is 3.5 times. The number of positive cases stood at 6,993 on June 18. As far as the number of tests conducted is concerned, the state which was testing 5,182 sample per day exactly a month ago increased it to 7,799 on July 1 and ramped it up to 10,502 daily at present.

In terms of overall number of confirmed cases till date, Patna tops the list with a tally of 3,581, followed by Bhagalpur (1532), Siwan (1094), Muzaffarpur (1082), Begusarai (1075).

As per reports reaching from districts, Sadar hospitals in Begusarai and Sheikhpura districts have been sealed after two doctors each and other staff in the aforementioned hospitals tested positive for the virus.

OPD and other services in both the hospitals have been shut for the next 72 hours, official sources in the two hospitals said.

Besides, town police station of Jehanabad has also been sealed after eight police personnel were found to be COVID positive.

The main entrance of the police station has been cordoned off with bamboo in order to prevent entry, town police station SHO Rajesh Kumar said, adding that a person can lodge his/her complaint/FIR in the nearby SC and ST police station.

Meanwhile, a three-member team of experts from Delhi is arriving here on Sunday to take stock of the situation in the state where the recent spurt has necessitated reimposition of a complete lockdown till July 31. The Union health ministry's team is headed by its Joint Secretary Luv Agarwal.

Director of the National Centre for Disease Control Dr S K Singh, and AIIMS, New Delhi Medicine Department Associate Professor Dr Neeraj Nishchal are the other two members of the central team.