Bihar has limited the coronavirus positive cases to 76 blocks in 32 districts of Bihar, CM Nitish Kumar has said. Bihar has a total of 534 blocks. In the last 24 hours, only seven cases of coronavirus have been recorded.
Patna, May 6:
With 20 trains ferrying migrant workers already back in Bihar and 40 more to come in the next two weeks, concerns have gone up about effective quarantine of those who have come from outside states, and also on corresponding measures being taken to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus in the state.
Amid these concerns, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has provided an insight into the pandemic status in the state.
The Chief Minister has revealed that Bihar has succeeded in limiting the coronavirus positive cases to 76 blocks in 32 districts of Bihar 15 per cent of the total 534 blocks in the state.
“This is one piece of information, which suggests why Bihar may already have a distinct advantage against the virus,” a senior IAS officer told India Today.
“It will help us a great deal in implementing the graded exit strategy as and when a decision to this effect is taken. Limiting the Covil-19 infection to less than 15% of the blocks, is a huge achievement for Bihar, which is the most densely populated state of India,” said the senior IAS officer.
This is not all.
Bihar has high out-state migration, including from the Middle East and other parts of the country, especially industrial centres. The state also shares a long, porous, boundary with Nepal and is the gateway to the North East. And this explains why Bihar’s achievement of limiting the Covid-19 is huge.
A top disaster management officer credits the Chief Minister for Bihar’s success. He says Nitish Kumar’s “close and constant” monitoring of the situation has helped in enforcing effective lockdown, and optimum contact tracing. “Limiting cases to just 76 blocks means that Bihar has been able to break the corona chain. The Chief Minister has been talking to DMs about maintaining vigil in specific containment zones to contain the spread,” said the officer.
“Bihar CM has appears to have memorised all crucial cases. Such close monitoring has kept the district magistrates on their toes, which explains why contact tracing has been a success in Bihar, helping us break the chain,” the officer claimed.
7 cases in 24 hours
Bihar has something else to cheer about too. The state has seen only seven cases of novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours. At the time of filing the report, Bihar’s tally of cases stood at 536.
This also includes 160 recovered cases, which leave Bihar with 376 active cases. Health officials believe that in a state of 110 million people, the number clearly appears manageable.
Bihar Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday held a discussion with the opposition members where he apprised them about the government’s efforts in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, assistance to the poor and arrangements following the return of thousands of migrants from different states.
The Chief Minister Kumar also briefed the opposition members about Bihar’s steadfast adherence to Centre’s lockdown guidelines. “We are here to provide assistance to anyone willing to return to Bihar. This is our duty to do so. I appeal everyone to maintain utmost precaution. We all know how even the developed countries are struggling,” he added.
Earlier, Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary had convened the meeting of all Legislature party leaders from wherever they were at the behest of the CM to discuss the situation in the wake of the pandemic.
This was also the state government’s first official engagement with the political parties since the premature adjournment of the Bihar Legislative Assembly on March 16. However, legislators, cutting across party lines, have remained in touch with the government, updating it with details of their constituencies.
