Covid reached the district police office and deputy commissioner’s residence on Tuesday, as Dhanbad city SP R. Ramkumar, a cook, a house guard and a sweeper deputed there tested positive.

Dhanbad DC Uma Shankar Singh has confirmed the City SP being detected positive and added that he is being treated in home isolation as his health condition is stable.

“Everyone else has tested negative. My family and I were not in close contact with the infected persons,” he said,

Earlier on Sunday, Dhanbad divisional railway manager Anil Kumar Mishra had also tested positive.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's (JMM) Tundi Legislator Mathura Mahto, who has been undergoing treatment as Tata Main Hospital (TMH) since July 15, was tested negative after the seventh round of testing on Wednesday, and its likely to be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.

Mahto was admitted in Covid Hospital of Dhanbad at Jagjivan Nagar on July 7 testing positive and was subsequently shifted to the TMH for better treatment after developing some breathing problems.

On Tuesday, the district administration sealed the Jharia and Jorapokhar police stations for 48 hours to carry out the sanitization, after seven policemen for the former and the two policemen of latter were found Covid positive.

Notably, several policemen in different police stations have also tested positive after the three-day special drive conducted by the administration.

The DC, in a video message, assured citizens that the district administration is fully prepared to face all the challenges by mopping up infrastructure as well as labour.

“I am happy to inform you that we will be in a good position in terms of ventilators as the number of functional ventilators in the Dedicated Covid Hospital of Dhanbad will increase from six to 10. Four ventilators each will be provided to the PMCH and Sadar Hospital,” he said.

Regarding the newly established Dedicated Covid Health Centres, Singh said that arrangements for telemedicine facilities are being made.

“As we are facing shortage of manpower in terms and doctors, despite the fact that we have mobilized a large number of them, we are making arrangements to enable health workers to function better, without getting infected and serve the patients in these centres,” he said.

“We have also deputed a senior-in-charge and assistant-in-charge for these Dedicated Covid Health Centres so that they can ensure all the facilities in these centres function as per the (ICMR) guidelines,” he said, adding that they have designated 12 dedicated Covid ambulances.

The newly launched dedicated health centres meant for treatment of asymptomatic patients and patients with mild symptoms, and to decrease the load on the 100-bed Dedicated Covid Hospital situated in Jagjivan Nagar, include the PMCH based Dedicated Covid Health Center, Sadar Hospital, and Tata Central Centres.

Upcoming centres include Bhuli Regional Hospital of BCCL (scheduled to be inaugurated) on Wednesday, Zonal training institute of Railway (to be launched on Thursday) and Nirsa Polytechnic based center.