As COVID-19 cases go up across Bihar, Nitish calls for setting up more isolation facilities

Patna, May 27 () With the number of COVID-19 cases continuing to grow rapidly in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar instructed officials on Wednesday to set up more isolation centres and suggested utilisation of unused government buildings, besides privately-owned ones, for the purpose.

At a high-level meeting that he chaired to review the pandemic, which has affected more than 3,000 people and claimed 15 lives in the state so far, the chief minister reiterated the need for conducting more tests and called for roping in the private sector for meeting the requirements.

"We need more isolation centres. The number of beds in the hospital isolation wards should be increased. Additional isolation centres may be set up at government buildings.

"The state government has got a large number of structures built, some of which are lying unused. These should come in handy. Private premises, including hotels, can also be acquired for the purpose," he told the meeting.

The meeting was attended among others by state Health Minister Mangal Pandey, Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar and Principal Secretary, Health, Uday Singh Kumawat.

The chief minister's directive came in the backdrop of a huge spike in the number of COVID-19 cases during the month. The state has registered over 2,500 fresh cases so far this month, mainly on account of a large number of migrant labourers returning home by special trains.

Kumar also reiterated the need to increase the number of tests being conducted every day, with a special emphasis on those coming from outside Bihar, and said, "The private sector too should have facilities for detecting coronavirus."

He also stressed the need for "being positive" towards the migrants who return home upon completing their stay at the quarantine centres for the stipulated period of time, besides the infected patients discharged from hospitals upon full recovery.

"They have endured untold sufferings. It is our collective responsibility to ensure their well-being," the chief minister said. NAC SNS RC