Record 197 new coronavirus cases in Chhattisgarh, one death

Chhattisgarh on Thursday reported 197 COVID-19 cases, the highest one-day spike in the state, taking the total count to 4,754, a health official said. The death toll rose to 21 after one more coronavirus patient succumbed, he said.

Of the new cases, 57 were from Raipur district, 32 from Bilaspur, 23 from Rajnandgaon, 17 from Durg, 16 from Kabirdham, 14 from Surguja, 12 from Janjgir-Champa, nine from Bemetara, five from Jashpur, four from Korba, three each from Raigarh and Balodabazar districts and one case came from Balrampur district, he said.

Besides, a person who had arrived from another state tested positive here for the viral infection, he added.

"For the first time the state has recorded such a huge increase in cases in a single day since the first case was reported in mid-March," he said.

"Twenty Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel are among the new cases detected in Rajnandgaon district," a police official said.

The ITBP is deployed in Rajnandgaon for anti-naxal operations.

A 66-year-old man, a resident of JanjgirChampa district, who was admitted at Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial Hospital here after testing positive for the viral infection died on Thursday, the health official said.

27 patients were discharged from different hospitals following their recovery, he said.

The number of active cases is 1,282, as 3,451 people have been discharged after recovery while 21 have died so far, the official said.

Coronavirus has spread its footprint in all the 28 districts of the state.

With 975 cases so far, Raipur district tops the tally in the state, followed by Rajnandgaon (414), Korba (349), Bilaspur (350), Janjgir-Champa (317), Balodabazar (300), Durg (264), Jashpur (197), Balrampur (164), Raigarh (153), Narayanpur (135), Kabirdham (133), Mungeli (132), Surguja (130) and Bemetara (100), he said.

Raipur district has recorded over 800 cases in the last one month alone.

Chhattisgarh COVID-19 figures are as follows: total cases 4,754, new cases 197, deaths 21, discharged 3,451, active cases 1,282, people tested so far 2,25,913.