A man in his early twenties tested positive for Covid-19 from Dhanbad on Thursday – the first case from the coal capital of the country, health officials said. With the latest test results out, the number of coronavirus cases in Jharkhand rose to 29 on Thursday, they added.
"He is a resident of Kumardubi in Dhanbad. His samples were collected after he returned from Asansol in West Bengal last week," said Health Secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni. However, no fresh cases were reported from other parts of the State on Thursday, he added.
Out of the 29 cases reported in Jharkhand so far, 14 are from Ranchi, nine from Bokaro, two from Hazaribag, and one each from Koderma, Giridih, Simdega and Dhanbad, officials said. However, the daily COVID-19 bulletin released by the National Health Mission (NHM) on Thursday did not mention about the latest Coronavirus patient found in Dhanbad.
Despite entering Jharkhand as late as March 31, the virus has infected more than two dozen people since the beginning of April. The Government has identified three major pockets where the virus has infected highest number of people. One of such pockets is Hindpiri in Ranchi, a locality which has alone reported 14 COVID-19 cases so far. The other two pockets are in rural Bokaro, sources said.
The entry of Coronavirus in Dhanbad has spread the lethal virus in seven of 24 districts in Jharkhand. Out of the five divisions here, the virus has infected people only in two divisions, officials said. However, it has entered the most populated cities in the State – Ranchi, Bokaro and now Dhanbad.
By Thursday, the Government collected samples of 3340 suspects in Jharkhand, and 2768 tested negative, said the daily bulletin released by NHM. Around 95,000 people have been put in home quarantine across the State, it added. Besides, nearly 10,000 people have been sent to quarantine centres, the bulletin said.
Nearly 50 per cent cases in Jharkhand are from Ranchi – a cause for concern for the Government. However, the cases have only been reported from one locality and not spread in other parts of the
city.