1/4th of state’s total cases in last 9 days, Jharkhand weighs lockdown options

RANCHI:Jharkhand has been witnessing its own third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic as cases were detected in a large number over the last nine days from the nonmigrant section of the state’s population.

Earlier, the state had witnessed positive cases linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event and with the return of migrant workers.

But, beginning July 1, a sudden spurt in Covid-19 cases the non-migrants has been noticed as over one-fourth of the state’s total 3,362 cases came in the last nine days, of which over 77% of patients are non-migrants.

From July 1-9, the state reported as many as 872 cases, which accounts for over 25% of the total cases, including 677 cases from the non-migrant section and 195 from the migrant section.

The number of active cases in the state too jumped to 1,129 on July 9 from 591 on June 30.

The spread of the pandemic among non-migrants, however, has put the administration on toes as cases are being discovered among politicians, journalists, police personnel and others.

The ripples of the pandemic have even been felt in bureaucratic circles as the chief minister’s office (CMO) has been temporarily shut as all officers and staff were sent to home quarantine.

As a precautionary measure, CM Hemant Soren too placed himself in home isolation after coming in contact with an infected minister and a party legislator.

Besides, routine work in some other government’s offices and police stations too has been temporarily suspended.

In order to put a break on spread of the disease, several district administrations have passed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The state government had successfully convinced the Railways to cancel movements of two trains between Ranchi-Patna and Tata-Patna. It is, reportedly, mulling over to impose a lockdown once again in the state considering demands of political parties and others.

“Cases are still coming from close contacts of already infected people and we can’t say whether it’s due to community transmission. The only way out is to strictly follow the protocols and guidelines. Many people are still violating the norms and don’t use masks, which are vital to check the infection. A majority of population has not downloaded the Aarogya Setu App,” said Dr Rakesh Dayal, state nodal officer of Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme(IDSP).

When asked what further measures could be taken to curb the spread of infection, he said, “It’s like a guerilla war and strategies keep changing. If there is a riot and it goes out of hand, curfew is the only solution.”

He, however, didn’t rule out the possibility of reimposition of lockdown if cases multiply progressively.

The cases surfaced in the month of April were primarily linked with New Delhi’s Tablighi Jamaat event.

The state’s first case was detected in a Malaysian woman who was part of the 22-member group including 17 foreign nationals who had arrived in Ranchi after attending Tablighi Jamaat in New Delhi’s Nizammudin area.

The second wave of Covid-19 cases came in May-June after return of migrants. As of now, out of the total 3,362 cases, 2,169 were found in migrants.

The state has so far reported 3,362 cases, including 2,210 recoveries and 23 deaths.

THE RIPPLES OF THE PANDEMIC HAVE EVEN BEEN FELT IN BUREAUCRATIC CIRCLES AS THE CMO HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY SHUT WITH ALL OFFICERS AND STAFF SENT TO HOME QUARANTINE