Covid-19 continues to take a toll on the Jharkhand cabinet with yet another minister testing positive on Monday even as the state rolled out booster dose for the elderly with comorbidities and frontline workers.

JMM MLA from Garhwa and state drinking water and sanitation minister Mithilesh Thakur took to Twitter on Monday to inform that he was Covid positive. However, he said he only had mild symptoms and opted for home isolation.

On Saturday, state health minister and Congress MLA from Jamshedpur West, Banna Gupta, had turned Covid positive with mild symptoms.

On Sunday, Jharkhand registered 3,444 new Covid-19 cases, which were 1,720 less than Saturday, and six deaths. Four of the deceased were from East Singhbhum and one each from Godda and Koderma.

The number of active cases in the state has reached 23,328.

“Covid-19 is spreading rapidly in the state. Apart from two ministers, 16 staff in the chief minister’s residential office in Kanke have tested positive along with chief minister’s wife and two children. The entire chief minister’s residence was sanitised on Sunday and visitors have been barred till further orders,” a close aide of chief minister Hemant Soren said.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the state rolled out Covid-19 booster shots to healthcare workers, frontline workers and the elderly with comorbidities.

“All the 24 districts have been directed to ensure availability of booster dose at the vaccination centres from Monday. Those who have taken double doses of Covishield will get Covishield as the booster while those who have got Covaxin will get Covaxin only. We have asked for adequate awareness campaigns in the district to inform eligible beneficiaries about the booster dose,” said additional chief secretary (health) Arun Kumar Singh. There are over 3,000 vaccination centres across Jharkhand.

There are nearly 6,50,000 residents above 60 years with comorbidities identified in 24 districts of Jharkhand who are eligible for a booster dose. There are 2.08 lakh healthcare workers and 3.65 lakh frontline workers identified across the state for the booster dose after a minimum of nine months from the last dose of the vaccine.

Meanwhile, 21 students appearing for the All India Sainik School Entrance examination were found Covid positive at the Guru Gobind Singh Public School in Dhanbad on Sunday and had to take the test in a separate hall.

The exam was conducted by the National Testing Agency.

Jharkhand state president of the Private School and Children Welfare Association Alok Dubey questioned the rationale behind the state government giving permission to the national-level entrance exam.

“While on the one hand the educational institutions have been closed by the state candidates till January 15, we have seen hundreds of students along with their parents coming to appear for admission in Sainik School. The state should not have given permission for the test,” Dubey said.