Jharkhand reported its first Covid-19 death on Thursday, and the total number of novel coronavirus cases jumped to 13.

Five cases were detected at Hindpiri locality in Ranchi, and four new cases were found in Bokaro district late on Wednesday night. Of the four in Bokaro, a 75-year-old died.

He lived in a village under Gomia block, around 35km from the district headquarters. He was a chronic asthma patient, and died early on Thursday during treatment at Bokaro General Hospital.

The man, suffering from recurring cough, fever and breathlessness, was hospitalised on April 4. Suspecting Covid-19, his swab was taken for test which came positive.

“So far no travel history of the deceased has been found,” Bokaro deputy commissioner Mukesh Kumar told The Telegraph. “His family said he was ill for a long time. He used to visit a local religious place to offer prayer. He last visited the place on March 20. We are trying to ascertain his contact history. We are minutely examining all details since it’s very important to ascertain from where he got the virus.”

The DC said the village had been sealed, a sanitising drive was on, and swabs of 20 persons had been collected.

The first case of novel coronavirus in Bokaro was detected on April 5 when a 40-year-old woman from a village around 20km from the district headquarters tested positive.

“Three of her family members have tested positive,” said Bokaro civil surgeon Dr Ashok Kumar Pathak. “The woman had travelled to Dhaka in Bangladesh and she returned Bokaro on March 15. Some other persons of that locality had also visited Dhaka along with her. But she suppressed important information regarding her travel.”

DC Mukesh Kumar said the woman had not disclosed that she had participated in the religious meet in Nizamuddin in Delhi last month.

“She along with her husband and others had visited Dhaka. She claimed she travelled back to Bokaro via Calcutta and Ranchi. But she had attended the meeting in Delhi. We have procured details of their travel history. Including one death in Bokaro district, five positive cases have been detected (so far, of which four are overnight),” the DC said.

All the five new cases detected in Ranchi are men.

“They are family members of the woman who was detected positive,” Ranchi DC Rai Mahimapat Ray said.

This woman, suffering from kidney and heart ailments, was found positive on April 6. The district administration immediately put her, her family members and close contacts under quarantine.

“We are tracing the contact history of all five,” said Ranchi civil surgeon Dr Vijay Bihari Prasad. “We have come to know about 40 such persons of whom 15 have been contacted and their swab is being taken. The contact history stretches beyond Hindpiri as a few persons of Karamtoli, Chutia and another area were in contact with the five. Four medical teams have been deployed to track and take their swabs”

The Ranchi district administration has decided to extend the total lockdown of Hindpiri for another three days.

Ranchi DC Ray and senior superintendent of police Anish Gupta appealed to people with symptoms, contact and travel history to come forward by dialling 1950.

“FIR will be lodged against persons if found violating prohibitory orders,” the DC said. “Nobody will be allowed to come out of their house. We are using four drones for surveillance.”

As of Thursday morning, 13 positive cases have been reported from Jharkhand; seven in Ranchi, five from Bokaro and one from Hazaribagh.

Samples of 1,315 persons have been taken and results of 1,139 have come negative. The results of 163 samples are awaited.