COVID-19 pandemic in Bihar

• Highest number of cases reported on 27 April. The total new cases reported were 69.
• Up to 27 April total home screened by health workers is 7459917.
• On 28 April total 19 new cases reported and 7 recovered.
• On 28 April Corona spread to 27 districts including 2 new districts.
• Total testing done till 28 April is 19790.
• Till 28 April total 6 Government lab is functional for testing in Bihar. Four labs in Patna and 1 lab each in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga.
• On 29 April total 26 new cases reported and 1 recovered. Corona spread to two more districts.
• On 30 April total 22 new cases reported and a total of 19 people recovered.

• On 1 May total 41 new cases, 1 death, and 14 patient recovered reported, and corona spread to one more district (katihar).
• On 2 May total 16 new cases, 1 death, and 26 people recovered.
• On 3 May total 35 new cases, 7 people recovered and corona spread to one more district (Sheohar).
• On 4 May total 8 new cases, 5 people recovered.
• On 5 May total 7 new cases, 33 people recovered.
• On 6 May total 7 new cases, 28 people recovered.
• On 7 May total 8 new cases, 58 people recovered and corona spread to one more district.
• On 8 May total 19 news cases, 49 people recovered Corona spread to 4 new districts (supaul, saharsa, Kisanganj, Khagaria).
• On 9 May total 41 news cases, 51 people recovered Corona spread to 1 new district (Muzaffarpur[5]).
• On 10 May total 96 new cases, 40 people recovered and 1 died. 3 private labs approved by the government for COVID-19 testing.
• On 11 May total 54 new cases reported.
• On 12 May total 118 new cases. Most of the cases are the migrant worker case. As per the government, they were in government quarantine centers.
• On 17 May total 148 new cases reported (highest single day case)

• 13 June, single day recovery(370) recorded.
• On 18 June, Bihar recorded the death(5) count due to COVID-19.
• On 25 June, Bihar single day recovery (374) recorded.

• On 6 July, Bihar recorded the death count(7) due to COVID-19.
• On 10 July, Bihar recorded 11 death and 459 recoveries.

To tackle the outbreak of coronavirus in an effective and structured manner, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has classified the country's districts in three different zones; Red, Orange, and Green, based on the severity of outbreak in those areas.[6]

The following is the list of districts of Bihar classified in their respective zones[7]

As of 10 May 2020, the state has 10 laboratories (7 government labs and 3 private labs) approved by ICMR for testing. Till 9 may, no private labs were approved to do COVID-19 testing in Bihar. On 10 May Bihar health department has permitted 2 private labs to collect samples and test for COVID-19. The rate of testing has been fixed and that is 4500 rs. [8]

• On 15 May 1 more government lab approved to do COVID-19 testing.
• On 16 May 1 more government lab approved to do COVID-19 testing.
• On 18 May 3 more government lab approved to do COVID-19 testing.
• On 19 May 2 more government lab approved to do COVID-19 testing.
• On 20 May 1 more government lab approved to do COVID-19 testing.
• On 21 May 1 more government lab approved to do COVID-19 testing. With that total testing center in Bihar reached 19(16 government lab and 3 private labs).

Total tests done is 687,154 as per 31 July [9][10] 21,271 reported active, 349 decreased and 40760 people recovered.[11]

In late March, as migrants workers started returning to Bihar, the state government imposed mandatory 14 days quarantining at government relief camps.[12] Initially in late May, the state government created three layers of quarantining:[13]

But within days, the government changed strategy to only have returnee migrants from category A (Block level) be mandatorily put in institutional quarantine, while the rest were sent for home quarantine if found asymptomatic.[14] The camps were closed down on 15 June and the last registration for institutional quarantining took place on 1 June.[15] The reason given for this was that reportedly the last batch of migrant workers came back on the 1st of June and the ones who came to Bihar after that aren't necessary returnee migrant workers. The other reasons was that most of these camps operated out of schools, which needed to be vacated as the government planned to reopen schools in July.[16] As of 14 June, there were 288 Block Quarantine Camps with a total of 15,33,392 persons registered for quarantining.[17]

While operational, these camps provided three meals a day to them, as well as a minimum financial assistance of ₹1,000.[17] To combat rapid population growth, the state government also provided kits containing condoms, contraceptives, and pregnancy tests to the discharged migrants.[18] As of 10 June, 17 lakh condoms were distributed to the migrants.[19]

Bihar is one of the 15 states and Union Territories which will get technical support and administrative hand-holding from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through central teams composed of two public health experts, epidemiologists, clinicians and a senior Joint Secretary level nodal officer.[20] The central team will assist the health department of the state government in implementing containment measures and management of clinical cases. The team will also improve coordination between the state government, and the district and municipal level authorities for public health response on the field.

This central scheme will be launched in six states, including Bihar, on 20 June 2020 from Telihar village of Khagaria district of Bihar.[21] 32 districts in Bihar will be part of the scheme.[22] This scheme will provide employment opportunities to both rural workers and returnee migrant workers, and develop rural infrastructure. Under the scheme, 25 different types of work will be provided under mission mode. 12 different central government ministries and departments will be involved in this scheme: Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Road Transport & Highways, Mines, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Environment, Railways, Petroleum & Natural Gas, New & Renewable Energy, Border Roads, Telecom and Agriculture.

The scheme will be launched in the following districts:[22]

East Champaran, West Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Darbhanga, Purnia, Gaya, Madhubani, Araria, Saran, Rohtas, Samastipur, Banka, Khagaria, Begusarai, Supaul, Bhagalpur, Saharsa, Aurangabad, Buxar, Kishanganj, Madhepura, Sitamarhi, Bhojpur, Siwan, Patna, Nalanda, Gopalganj, Jamui, Nawada and Kaimur.

The Bihar government has mapped the skills of more than 17 lakhs of migrant-labourers and has engage more than 6 to 7 lakhs of them in different schemes employment schemes.[22]

Observing the situation of workers throughout the country, the central government and Indian railway decided to run the "Shramik Special" between states to help workers to reach their home state. Till 13 May over 169 Shramik special train reached Bihar different city from other states.

Bihar health department release data on 15 May about total cases related to the migrant workers.

• Total Migrant positive case report 358 from 4 May to 15 May.
• Total 416 migrant positive case reported till 15 May.[23]

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