Patna, Apr 9 (IANS): At least 12 fresh coronavirus positive cases have been reported in Bihar and 9 of them are members of the same family in Siwan. With this, the total number of infected persons in the state has gone up to 51, health officials said.

Health ministry chief secretary Sanjay Kumar said, "Out of the 12 new cases, 10 are from Siwan and 9 are members of the same family."

He said the samples of four women were tested first which were found coronavirus positive. They females range from 12 to 29 years in age. Then five more samples were tested out of which three are females and two are males. They were also found positive on Thursday.

Kumar said they all came in contact with a person who had a travel history to Oman, who was coronavirus positive.

A 36-year-old person, a resident of Siwan, who came from Dubai on March 16, has been found to be coronavirus positive.

The chief secretary said that two more persons in Begusarai tested positive on Thursday. They are 15 and 18 years of age. Their travel history is being ascertained.

Earlier on Wednesday, a 36-year-old person in Nawada was confirmed coronavirus positive. He had travelled from Delhi to Bihar before the lockdown was imposed.

The maximum number of positive cases in the state have been reported from Siwan district. A large number of migrants from the district go to the Gulf countries every year.

So far 11 districts of Bihar have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with the maximum number of cases being from Siwan (20), Patna (5), Monghyr (7), Nalanda (2), Gaya (5), Gopalganj (3), Begusarai (5) and Lakhisarai, Saran, Nawada and Bhagalpur with one case each, the chief secretary said.

One person, who had a travel history to Qatar, has died in Monghyr.