Bihar: Return of migrants raises virus fear

The spike in the number of cases in the country has prompted the Bihar government to initiate preventive measures to deal with the threat emerging due to coronavirus crisis. However, the state government is also worried about the massive migrant population returning home from other states.

Experts and a section in the state administration are of the view that migrants returning in large number may pose a threat of community spread if some of them turn out to be infected by the deadly coronavirus.

On Saturday, while talking to a television channel Bihar chief minister

Nitish Kumar said that “the whole purpose of complete lockdown would fail if people start returning in buses. In my view, shelter camps should be set up instead of sending them back home in buses”.

His comments came after UP government announced special buses for migrants who have been stranded near Delhi border. Hundreds of migrants, mostly daily wage workers and labourers, have been trying to return home after the government announced a 21day national lockdown in the wake of coronavirus crisis. Earlier this week, the Bihar government had released a fund of Rs 100 crore for migrant workers who are stuck outside the state.

So far, Bihar has reported nine Covid-19 positive cases and one death. Three persons, including a paramedic staff of a private hospital in Patna, and two youths were found positive on Friday. Last week, a person from Munger district with a travel history to Qatar had died at AIIMS, Patna.

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