92.5% Covid cases in Gaya from rural areas

GAYA: Rural areas have turned out to be Covid-19 hotspots in Gaya district. As per official figures released by Gaya district administration, 148 of 160 or 92.5% of Covid-19 positive cases in the district are from rural areas.
As per the 2011 census figures, only 13.24% of the nearly 43 lakh people of the district live in the urban areas.
Gaya DM Abhishek Singh said the percentage of Covid cases in rural areas is proportionately higher but not high enough to merit any alarm.“Social distancing maintenance and contact tracing is much easier in the rural areas as compared to the urban areas. The rural areas are less congested and better ventilated,” the DM said.
According to district health officials, 116 of the 160 Covid positive cases are migrant workers in the district. More than 50,000 migrant workers and foreign returnees have come to the district since the easing of travel restrictions and movement of migrant workers from May 2.
Field officials have been asked to step up sample testing of the more vulnerable sections like vendors, vegetable and fruit sellers, provision shop operators, auto drivers and rickshaw pullers. The direction was given during the review meet held on Friday evening. Civil surgeon Dr B K Singh made a detailed presentation at the review meet.
Meanwhile, Dr Ram Sewak Prasad Singh, president of the Gaya chapter of Indian Medical Association, reiterated the commitment of private practitioners to help government sector medical establishments in case such a need arises. According to Dr Singh, the elderly private practitioners may be exempted, but the younger ones would certainly join the fight against Covid-19 in the district.