Fresh cases of Covid-19 infection outnumbered recoveries for the second consecutive day in Jharkhand on Friday, causing a minor drop in the Covid recovery rate and a rise in the number of active cases across the state as well as in Ranchi, figures compiled by the state health department highlighted.
As per a bulletin released by the National Health Mission (NHM), at least 219 fresh cases of infection, including 94 from Ranchi alone, surfaced in the state on Friday. On the other hand, as many as 206 patients recovered from the lethal infection on the day.
After Friday's test results, the number of active cases in Jharkhand stood at 1938, while that in Ranchi was put at 764 by the NHM. The number of active cases also increased in East Singhbhum and Dhanbad as both the districts reported fewer recoveries than fresh cases on the day. East Singhbhum reported 19 cases against 17 recoveries, while Dhanbad reported 24 cases against 10 recoveries on the day.
There were 298 active cases in East Singhbhum by the end of Friday. As per government data, Ranchi and East Singhbhum account for more than half of the active cases of Covid-19 in Jharkhand.
At least four districts –Latehar, Saraikela, Simdega and Lohardaga– did not report even a single case of infection on Friday, while as many as 14 districts saw a single-digit-spike in cases.
Meanwhile, one more Covid-19 patient, a resident of Ranchi, breathed his last on the day. Friday's findings take the Covid toll in Ranchi alone to 201 and that in Jharkhand to 978.
The government on Friday tested swab samples of 21977 people and around 1 per cent of them were found infected. So far, the state has collected swab samples of over 43 lakh people and tested 42.92 lakh of them. The Covid tally in Jharkhand by Friday night was 109990.
As per government data, the recovery rate in the state was 97.34 per cent, while the mortality rate was 0.88 per cent. The growth rate of the virus in Jharkhand was 0.16 per cent against the national average of 0.33 per cent. The doubling rate of the virus in Jharkhand was 440.82 days against the national average of 208.12 days.