Patna, Dec 28 (PTI) Bihar has witnessed a more than ten-fold rise in active COVID-19 cases, since last weekend, according to figures released by the state health department.

The state, which had zero active case till Sunday, now has 14, with Gaya accounting for 12 of these.

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Notably, Gaya is witnessing an influx of pilgrims from abroad who are heading for Bodh Gaya, less than 20 km away, to attend the discourses of the Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan spiritual leader is in Bihar after a gap of two years.

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On Monday, the international Buddhist pilgrimage centre had reported five COVID-19 cases, all of them foreign nationals.

In addition, one person each has tested positive for coronavirus in Darbhanga and Patna.

Meanwhile, Dr Gopal Krushna Pal, the Executive Director of AIIMS, Patna, said in a statement "there is no need to panic over rumours of an impending fourth wave. Though it would be prudent if people avoided going to crowded places and wore masks while venturing out".

He asserted that the hospital was well prepared and ventilators and oxygen concentrators were found to be working fine in a mock drill that was conducted on Tuesday as part of a nation-wide exercise.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)