Jharkhand reported its highest single-day-spike of 2021 in Covid cases on Wednesday as over 5000 state residents, including over 1300 from Ranchi alone, tested positive for the viral infection on the day, government data highlighted.

As per a bulletin released by the National Health Mission (NHM), Ranchi accounted for 1361 of the 5041 fresh cases of infection on the day, while East Singhbhum accounted for 718 cases.

As many as 62 Covid patients, including 22 from Ranchi and 11 from East Singhbhum, died during treatment on Wednesday, taking the Covid toll in Jharkhand to 1609 and that in Ranchi alone to 418, the NHM bulletin stated. The Covid toll in East Singhbhum jumped to 459 on the day.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand government also arranged for over 1800 additional beds with oxygen support amid an acute crisis of beds for Covid-19 patients across the country, a press communique from the Information and Public Relation Department of the Government stated on Wednesday. The 1824 additional beds, as per the communique, will be used for treatment of Covid patients in districts other than Ranchi.

Chairing a meeting with the concerned officials on April 15, the Chief Minister had directed the deputy commissioners of all the districts in Jharkhand to arrange for at least 50 oxygen-supported beds for Covid patients in their respective districts.

The State on Wednesday tested swab samples of 43,239 residents and more than 10 per cent of them were found infected. Wednesday’s findings took the Covid tally in the state to 177356 and the active caseload to 35,826, highlighted government data.

As per government data, the growth rate of cases in the state jumped to 2.30 per cent against the national average of 1.27 per cent on the day. The doubling rate of infection further dropped to 30.50 days in the state against the national doubling rate of 54.85 days. The figures indicate that it would take hardly 30 days for the cases to double in Jharkhand at the current pace of growth in infection.

Only 2331 Covid patients recovered against the over 5000 fresh cases on the day, which brought the recovery rate below 80 per cent in Jharkhand. As per government data, the Covid recovery rate in the state was 78.89 per cent against the national average of 85.60 per cent.

Meanwhile, the vaccination campaign also could not achieve the desired target on Wednesday. As many as 16,393 beneficiaries, hardly 18 per cent of those registered, got the first jab on the day. The second jab was administered to 8263 beneficiaries, around 3 per cent of the total number of people registered for the dose on Wednesday.

As per government data, the state has so far administered the first dose of the vaccine to over 25 lakh Jharkhand residents, while the second dose has been administered to around 3.84 lakh beneficiaries.