Bihar reports third COVID-19 death; total number of cases rises to 466

Patna, May 1 () The death toll due to COVID-19 in Bihar rose to three with one more fatality on Friday while 41 more people tested positive for the disease, taking the total number of cases to 466, officials said.

The 54-year-old patient, who was admitted to the NMCH hospital here on April27, died due to cardiac arrest, Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar said.

He said the patient had a serious case of terminal oropharyngeal malignancy (cancer of mouth and throat) and he apparently contracted the infection in Mumbai, where he was working.

The resident of Banjaria in East Champaran had returned from the western metropolis on April 20 along with two other residents of the village. All of them testedpositive for coronavirus on April 26.

Forty-one fresh cases were reported in a day in Katihar, Buxar, Rohtas, Madhubani, Kaimur and Bhojpur.

The state had reported its first couple of coronavirus cases on March 22 and the number rose at a moderate speed, taking four weeks to cross the three-digit-mark on April 19. However, it has been a steep rise since then.

East Champaran, Vaishali and Munger have accounted for one deatheach. Out of the total 466 patients, 98 have been cured.

Testing of samples is taking place at six facilities spread across Patna, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga and one more centre is expected to become functional from Sunday at Bhagalpur.