Bihar's 38 districts under lockdown till March 31

PATNA: After the death of a COVID-19 positive person and two new positive cases detected on Sunday, the state government in Bihar locked down all the 38 districts from its block to district headquarters with immediate effect to contain the possible spread of the novel coronavirus.

After a detail discussion over the situation with the officials of health and other departments on Sunday evening, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addressed the people of Bihar through a video message and said that the lockdown order was brought into effect exercising the power under relevant sections of The Epidemic Disease Act,1897. 

The lockdown will remain in effect till March 31 throughout the state. The private clinic, telephone services, banking and ATM services, the Dairying and related establishments, the grocery shops, fruits and vegetable shops, pharmacist shops, petrol pump, LPG refilling centres, post offices, e-commerce and courier service and electronic and print media have been exempted from the purview of lockdown. 

According to the principal secretary of health, Sanjay Kumar said that emergency services like freight vehicles, ambulance and other emergency services will also remain out of the lockdown.

So far, the 504 passengers arrived from different corona affected countries have been placed under the medical surveillance since January 15 in Bihar.

Sanjay Kumar, principal secretary of the health department, said that only two positives after one death have been diagnosed till date.

Around 3 lakh passengers have so far been screened at different transit points including the Patna and the Gaya airports.

The seven districts, which share a border with Nepal have been put on high alert. Sources said that 80%of total migrated people returning from different parts of the country amid the coronavirus outbreak, returned to these districts.