The third wave of COVID-19 has begun in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lamented and urged citizens to remain vigilant. The Chief Minister further said that a review meeting would be convened soon to assess the situation and the possibility of imposing restrictions would be discussed.
He also contemplated opening a genome sequencing laboratory in the state. The first case of Omicron was detected in the state on Thursday. The 26-year-old patient, a resident of Kidwaipuri locality of the state capital, had recently returned from Delhi. Bihar recorded 100 COVID-19 cases on the previous day.
“Bihar has reported the first omicron case. Everyone has to be alert. The state is witnessing a sharp rise in cases, with the highest number of cases being reported in Patna and Gaya. People from other states are in large numbers at these two places. live, and this could be one of the reasons behind the spike in cases in these areas,” he told reporters.
Kumar said, “The third COVID wave has started in the state. We are fully prepared to deal with this wave. The health department has upgraded the hospital infrastructure.”
“People from outside the state are being tested for COVID-19, and if anyone’s result is coming back positive, their samples are being sent to Delhi for genome sequencing. We will discuss the opening of the genome sequencing lab in the review meeting. Will discuss the state,” Kumar said.
A senior health official said that the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in Patna already has the necessary permissions to open a genome sequencing laboratory.
(with inputs from agencies)
Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint.
download
Our App Now!!
,