There is shortage of PPE kits, N95 masks: Bihar Principal Secretary

Bihar's Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar on Sunday said there is a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits and N95 masks in the state.

"There is a shortage of PPE kits and N95 masks. We are in touch with the Centre. Bihar Medical Service Infrastructure Corporation Limited is in contact with the private agencies, which can supply," he said.

"Today, we are getting 15,000 PPE kits. So as soon as we get it, we will make it available to medical colleges and districts. We have requested the Centre for 5 lakh PPE kits. We have received 4,000 so far," he said.

Kumar said that they have also requested the ICMR to open testing centres at Bhagalpur and Gaya.

He also said that attempts are being made to trace the 32 attendees of Markaz in Nizamuddin in Delhi.

"We are trying to trace the 32 attendees of Markaz. Several people are outside the state too. As the information is made available to us, we are also testing them," he said while speaking to reporters here.

Several people who attended the religious gathering in Delhi have tested positive for coronavirus, leading to a surge in the number of cases in several states.

With 472 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of coronavirus positive cases in the country has gone up to 3,374, said the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Sunday.