The steel city has turned into a corona hotspot with more than 1,000 positive cases reported in the last 24 hours. For the first time during the second Covid-19 wave in Jamshedpur, record cases have been reported. District’s positive cases tally has mounted to 29,859.
Meanwhile, a team led by SDO Nitish Kumar conducted raid at Ankur Lab in Kadma and sealed the premises for illegally conducting Covid tests. The officials informed that the lab was not authorised to conduct tests.
Meanwhile, a total of 16 fatalities were reported due to the Covid-19 infection in the last 24 hours, the death toll has climbed to 523. The total active cases are 6,468.
East Singhbhum district administration has conducted 2,73,877 test per million in the district.The Kadma locality of Steel City has turned out to be a Covid hotspot with the district health department detecting over 80 positive cases during the last two days.
With the surge in cases as many as eight containment zones were declared in residential areas close to Kadma market. The administration has also sealed Refugee Colony after over 100 positive cases were reported. The health team is conducting tests for all the residents.
Health department officials confirmed that Kadma locality has around 660 active cases making it the top Covid hotspot. Telco with 530 active cases is the second hotspot followed by Mango (410 active cases), Sakchi (400 active cases) and Sonari which has 375 active cases.
As many as 16 deaths , the highest so far also took place in past 24 hours. Maximum number of Covid affected people were found in Kadma, Telco, Sonari, Mango and Bistupur.
In view of the rising number of Covid cases, the health department is conducting Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) on the go for people at public places. RAT is also conducted through nasal and throat swabs like RT PCR tests. However, the result of the test is out within an hour. Doctors say that RAT is a low sensitivity test when compared to RT PCR, and may not be as accurate as the latter. The RT PCR test, on the other hand, takes around 48 hours, but the results are more accurate.
The official explained that rapid antigen tests detect the presence of viral proteins (antigens) expressed by the Covid-19 virus in a sample taken from the respiratory tract of a person. “ The result of the test is made available within 15 minutes, “ he said adding that the objective is to trace, track and treat Covid positive patients. The East singhbhum health department has intensified the rapid antigen test drive keeping in view the spurt in Covid-19 cases.
“Despite the rising number of Covid-19 cases, people are still not following the rules. Strict enforcement of the triad of precautionary measures — use of masks and sanitisers and following social distancing — in public spaces has become a priority,” said Krishna Kumar, city manager, JNAC.