By DK Sinha
Patna: Bihar is witnessing an unprecedented rise in the Covid cases, claiming lives of people at an alarming scale even as the recovery rate has reduced to 77 percent.
Serious Covid patients are not getting admission to hospitals due to scarcity of beds. Patients are gasping for breath as oxygen supply to hospitals is not sufficient and ventilators are simply sitting idle at majority of district government hospitals as there is no trained manpower to run them.
The number of people who lost their lives due to the coronavirus infection has risen to 2642 in the state since the outbreak of infection last year. Those who succumbed to the coronavirus infection included State Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Singh and State Chief Post Master General Anil Kumar.
Bihar reported 13,789 new infections, taking the tally to 4,84,106 on Sunday. Patna was the worst-hit accounting for 3024 new cases. West Champaran reported 537 fresh COVID cases while Purnea saw 424 infections and Supual (400).
The State saw 10,905 recoveries on Saturday taking the figure of people getting cured of the disease to 3,73,261 since the beginning. There are 1,08,203 active cases in Bihar at present and so far 2642 deaths officially registered in the State. A total of 95,686 tests of samples took place Saturday while the state has clinically examined over 2.65 crore people for the contagion.
In view of growing number of coronavirus cases,, Bihar government on April 28 imposed stricter restrictions across the state from April 29.
According to the new order, the night curfew timings have been increased. It will now remain in effect from 6 pm to 6 am. Earlier, the curfew was imposed between 9 pm and 5 am.
The new restrictions will be in place till May 15. The order has listed essential services which will be allowed to operate.
On the vaccination front, 62,402 citizens took the shots Saturday, while overall 7228280 people have received the jabs in the state so far. The vaccination programme for those between 18 and 44 could not start on Saturday due to non-availability of doses.
The state cooperative department has also launched a home delivery facility of sanitised vegetables in Patna and Motihari in view of growing number of Covid cases. People can place their orders from www.tarkarimart.in and will receive it within 24 hours.
