Coronavirus: Bihar reports five new cases; total now 29

Five people tested positive for COVID-19 in Bihar on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 29, an official said.

According to state epidemiologist Ragini Mishra, two women from Gaya, the wife and the mother of a coronavirus patient with travel history to Dubai, and as many men from Gopalganj, both of whom returned from the Middle East recently, tested positive.

A resident of Saran district, who had recently travelled to the UK, also tested positive, she said.

"Altogether, 1,973 samples have been tested in the state so far, of which 29 have tested positive," Mishra told PTI.

Notably, Gopalganj reported its first COVID-19 case on Tuesday when a man with travel history to the Middle East tested positive.

It is, however, the first time that a sample has tested positive from Saran.

Of the 29 people reported COVID-19 positive in Bihar till date, one has died, while three have recovered.

The deceased was a 38-year-old from Munger who returned from Qatar a month ago and breathed his last on March 21 at AIIMS, Patna, a day before test results confirmed he was COVID-19 positive.

He had been suffering from renal failure and ended up infecting several others, including neighbours, relatives and employees of private hospitals in Munger and Patna before he was referred to AIIMS here.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has congratulated the three people who have fully recovered.