The active caseload of Covid-19 in Jharkhand has crossed the 150-mark, while the number of Covid patients in Ranchi alone nears 100, figures compiled by the health department highlighted on Saturday, indicating that infections are rising steadily in the state.

As per a bulletin released by the National Health Mission (NHM), at least 152 Jharkhand residents were battling coronavirus infection on Saturday morning, and 99 of them were from Ranchi. All these cases were active in 11 of 24 districts in Jharkhand, while the remaining 13 districts had zero active cases.

The three most populated districts – Ranchi, East Singhbhum and Dhanbad – jointly accounted for more than 80 per cent of the active cases. As per government data, there were at least 15 active Covid cases in East Singhbhum and eight in Dhanbad.

A dozen fresh cases of coronavirus infections have been surfacing daily in the past week or so. No casualties were reported during this period. Doctors say that many of the people who tested positive for Covid-19 lately were either fully or partially vaccinated and did not suffer from severe symptoms.

As per government data, the state has so far reported over 3.48 lakh cases of Covid-19 and at least 98.49 per cent of these patients have recovered, while 1.47 per cent could not survive. As many as 5,138 Jharkhand residents have died of Covid in the state so far, and 1,585 deaths occurred in Ranchi alone.

Jharkhand has set a target of vaccinating at least three lakh beneficiaries daily against Covid-19. But daily vaccinations are nowhere close to the target. On average, the state has managed to vaccinate only about 1 lakh residents daily in the past one week, with a focus on second-dose beneficiaries.

As per government records, at least 64.18 per cent of the over 2.41 crore vaccine beneficiaries in Jharkhand have received at least the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. The second dose, however, was administered to only 25.85 per cent of the total beneficiaries.