COVID-19: Bihar to start door to door screening in an effort to trace out those who test positive

PATNA: In a first, Bihar is going to start door- to- door screening in state's four districts where from maximum number of Covid 19 positive cases have been reported. Aimed at tracing out the people with symptoms of Covid 19 , the door to door screening round would start from April 16 by thousands of health personnel in meticulously planned way. 

Confirming this to The New Indian Express, principal secretary of health department Sanjay Kumar,who is overall monitoring the activities against the outbreak of Covid-19 in the state, said: "No doubt that this would be first such kind of door to door screening started by any state in the country. This will help trace and test the people in four districts namely Nawada, Nalanda, Begusarai and Siwan, having symptoms either akin to Covid 19 or other influenza like illness". 

Around 8000 villages in these four districts would be covered under the door to door screening. Quoting official figures of emigration department, Kumar said around 22000 people have arrived in Bihar from abroad between March 1 and 23. "As is estimated,at least 50% of them would certainly have moved to other states or places but remaining 50,% would throughly screened and covered under the door to door screening drive",he said. 

A strong pool of approximately 86000 health personnel would be involved in screening the people from home to another home. Besides this, the houses located in the radius of three km from the house of anyone tested positive in other districts, would also been screened.

 Till date, Bihar reported total number of 66 positive cases and out of them 29 positive cases have recovered and rest 36 active are under quarantine and one had already died.