Jharkhand on Monday reported over 1000 fresh cases of Covid-19 infection – the highest in a day this year – and at least 10 Covid casualties, taking the Covid toll in the state up at 1140, figures compiled by the National Health Mission (NHM) revealed.

At least three Covid patients in Ranchi, two in East Singhbhum and one each in Simdega, Sahebganj, Lohardaga, Bokaro and Dhanbad died during treatment in 24 hours, a bulletin released by the NHM stated. The state has reported 18 Covid fatalities in the past 48 hours, highlights data with the government.

As many as 1086 Jharkhand residents, including 569 from Ranchi alone, were found infected by the mysterious virus on the day, while the state reported only 438 Covid recoveries. Monday’s test results take the active caseload in Jharkhand to 5882 and that in Ranchi to 3,267, the NHM stated in its daily Covid bulletin released at 10.30pm on Monday.

This is the first instance of Jharkhand reporting more than 1000 cases of infection in a day in 2021. For the first time since the entry of the virus in the tribal state, the growth rate of infection in Jharkhand has surpassed the growth rate in India, officials said. As per government data, the growth rate of Covid-19 infection in Jharkhand was 0.55 per cent on Monday against the national average of 0.51 per cent.

The doubling rate of infection in the state has also dropped below the national average, indicating that it would take fewer days for the cases to double in Jharkhand than in India. As per NHM data, the doubling rate in Jharkhand was 126.33 days against the national average of 136.20 days.

As per government data, as many as 1,28,332 people have been infected by the Covid-19 virus in Jharkhand so far and 94.52 per cent of them have recovered. The Covid recovery rate in the state has dropped from close to 99 per cent in the first week of March.

On Monday, the state tested swab samples of 18,230 people and more than 5 per cent of them were found infected. Ranchi Civil Surgeon, Dr. VB Prasad on Monday said that the health department will run special Covid testing programmes in suburban Ranchi and set up new vaccination centre in the urban areas. Ranchi is the worst-affected district in terms of caseload in Jharkhand and second worst-affected in terms of Covid casualties.

The state administered the first dose of vaccine against Covid-19 virus to 89,787 residents, while the second jab was administered to 4,205 beneficiaries, stated a separate report released by the NHM. So far, the state has vaccinated close to 17 lakh people.