Patna: The Bihar government has cancelled the leave of all doctors, healthcare workers and paramedical staff till April 5 after a sudden surge of COVID-19 cases in the state. Health authorities have been alarmed after coronavirus cases registered a four-fold increase in the past four days.
As per the directive issued by health department’s joint secretary Anil Kumar, all doctors and healthcare workers on leave have been told to resume duty without delay. The leave of junior residents in medical colleges and hospitals have also been cancelled. However, those on maternity and study leave have been spared.
The health department swung into action after coronavirus cases touched three-digit figures after showing a decline. According to a report of the health department, the state reported only 26 cases on March 15. However, the cases jumped to 49 on March 16, 58 on March 17 and then 107 on March 18. This was the first time in the past two months that cases have crossed 100.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said the government was on alert to fight the situation and announced to increase the number of daily tests to 70,000. “The situation in Bihar is under control but we have to be very careful. I am soon going to hold meetings with all district heads regarding COVID-19 situation in the state,” the chief minister told the local media.
Kumar, who joined the Prime Minister’s interaction with chief ministers on Wednesday, stressed on increasing RT-PCR tests. He said the government was also motivating the people to get vaccinated.
Concerned over the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases, businessmen have cancelled garment purchase order by 70 per cent, a Bihar Chamber and Commerce official said. Business was slowly picking up due to the festival of Holi and the approaching wedding season, but businessmen fear another lockdown. “We are alarmed after the government banned Holi festivities in public this year. Let aside small traders, even big traders are not in a position to take risks by investing more in the business,” a Bihar Traders Association official Ajay Gupta said. According to Gupta, some 30,000 traders are associated with garment business in Patna district alone.
Another wholesale garment dealer Purushottam Kumar Chaudhary said they feared heavy loss due to fresh coronavirus outbreak. “We survive on the three-month business which starts with Holi season but if the fresh COVID-19 restrictions were imposed, we are bound to suffer heavy losses once again. We are yet to recover from last year’s losses caused due to the lockdown,” Chaudhary said.
