Bihar reports 77 fresh cases, total count 1,519

Seventy-seven people tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar on Wednesday, taking the total number of infected to 1519, a top official said here.

According to Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar, the central Bihar district of Jehanabad reported 30 fresh cases, including a boy and a girl aged three and five years respectively.

The district now accounts for 58 of the total cases.

Twelve people, including a two-year-old boy, tested positive in Begusarai district, which has till date reported 84 cases. Only Patna, Munger and Rohtas districts account for higher tallies.

Thirteen people tested positive in Katihar, five each in Bhagalpur and Kaimur, four in Aurangabad and three in Arwal, the principal secretary said.

Patna, Nawada, Buxar, Jamui and Supaul districts reported one case each.

All 38 districts in the state are affected by the disease and the highest number of 167 patients are in Patna, followed by Munger (133) and Rohtas (91).

Nine people, two each from Patna and Vaishali districts, and one each from Munger, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Rohtas and Khagaria have died. Most of the victims had pre-existing medical conditions like cancer, renal failure and tuberculosis.

On the positive side, 534 patients have been discharged after full recovery.

The state has seen a huge spike in the number of cases in the recent past, mainly on account of the heavy influx of migrants who have been travelling to their native places, many of them walking hundreds of kilometers on foot.

According to the state health department, 754 migrants have tested positive in the state since May 3. A majority of the patients have recently returned from Delhi (247), Maharashtra (176) and Gujarat (155).

Altogether, 50,563 samples have been tested in the state till date, a release issued by the state health department said.