Jharkhand on Wednesday reported less than 1000 fresh cases of Covid-19 in a day for the first time since the second wave of the pandemic hit the tribal state in April, figures released by the National Health Mission (NHM) highlighted. The state also reported more than 2400 Covid recoveries in the past 24 hours, which brought the active caseload down to 14,196.

As per a bulletin released by the NHM, as many as 977 people were found infected by Coronavirus in Jharkhand on Wednesday while at least 2403 patients recovered from the infection. Ranchi and East Singhbhum were the only two districts to report a triple-digit-spike in cases on the day.

At least 120 people were found infected in Ranchi while 453 patients recovered here on Wednesday, the NHM bulletin stated. In East Singhbhum, 160 residents were found infected and 363 patients recovered, bringing the active caseload there down to 1,118. As per government data, the active caseload in Ranchi dropped to 3,547.

The state also reported 19 Covid casualties on the day, which took the toll in the state to 4910. As per government data, Ranchi reported seven deaths while East Singhbhum reported five deaths on Wednesday, which took the toll in Ranchi to 1522 and that in East Singhbhum to 988.

Among other districts, Bokaro reported 64 cases against 202 recoveries, while Dhanbad reported 73 cases against 178 recoveries. At least 53 people were found infected by Coronavirus in Hazaribag on the day while 151 patients recovered there.

The state on Wednesday tested swab samples of 42,453 residents and around 2 per cent of them were found infected. The daily positivity rate for Covid-19 in the state had reached around 20 per cent during the peak earlier this month, and the government attributes the drop in positivity rate to the lockdown-like restrictions enforced to check the spread of the virus.

The growth rate of infection also dropped to 0.40 per cent in Jharkhand against the national average of 0.61 per cent on Wednesday, while the doubling rate of cases rose to 174.67 days against the national average of 114.47 days. The doubling rate in Jharkhand, as per government records, had dropped close to 25 days during the peak of the second wave in early May.

As per government data, the recovery rate has also improved in the state. At least 94 per cent of the 3.34 lakh people infected by Coronavirus in Jharkhand so far have recovered. The mortality rate in the state, however, was still 1.46 per cent against the national average of 1.10 per cent.

The state on Wednesday administered the first dose of vaccine against Covid-19 to 20,821 residents, while the second jab was administered to 2,289 beneficiaries, stated a separate report from NHM.