 "Bihar CM Nitish Kumar puts off public programmes in view of Covid surge")
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has put off his ongoing tour of the state and his weekly public interaction programme in the capital city in view of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, an official release said on Wednesday.
Missives have been shot off to all district magistrates, superintendents of police and higher officials that 'Samaj Sudhar Abhiyan' and 'Janta Ke Durbar Mein Mukhyamantri' have been "suspended till further orders".
Notably, eight citizens and a caterer from the last weekly public interaction programme have tested positive for the infection.
In addition, four members of Kumar's cabinet, including both his deputies, have contracted the disease.
The state has witnessed a sharp rise in COVID cases over the past one week during which its active caseload has jumped by more than 20 times.
Patna district has borne the brunt of the spike, accounting for 1,250 of the state's 2,222 active cases.