PATNA: Observing that the entire mankind is passing through a critical phase due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday stressed that social distancing remains the lone effective means to deal with the grave situation.Backing the decision to extend nationwide lockdown till May 3, Kumar said it was done in the interest of the society keeping in mind the rising number of coronavirus cases.He appealed to the people to remain alert and vigilant against the spread of the deadly virus.The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the country reached 14,173 with 437 fatalities while Bihar has so far reported 83 positive patients and two virus related deaths.Considering the gravity of the epidemic, every individual needs to be alert and vigilant and practice social distancing, which is the only effective measure to deal with it (Covid- 19), Kumar said.Speaking about the steps taken by the state government to help distressed people in the hour of crisis, the chief minister said Rs 1,000 is given as special assistance to labourers and the needy persons stranded outside the state following ongoing shutdown across the country.The money is given from the chief minister's relief fund.The special assistance amount has been transferred in the bank accounts of 10.11 lakh people so far, an official release said.The government is still receiving applications and the amount will be credited in their accounts soon after a verification process, he said.Similarly, the state government which decided to transfer Rs 1000 to every ration card holding families in the state has so far provided the amount to 94.85 lakh such families.The remaining card holding families will also get the Rs 1000 assistance soon, he added.More than 50 relief camps are being run through Bihar Foundation in 12 cities of nine states, including Delhi and Mumbai, where people are being served food and ration packets, the CM said, adding a total of 7,66,920 people have been benefitted from it so far.Families, which do not have ration cards, will be provided the assistance with the help of Jeevika groups (women self help groups), Kumar said.Within Bihar, the state government is running 150 disaster relief camps in different cities for the daily wage earners, cart vendors, rickshaw pullers etc. People are provided food, accommodation and medical facilities at these centres, he said.Kumar urged people to cooperate in the door-to-door screening for the virus in the affected districts being done on the lines of Pulse polio campaign to contain the spread of coronavirus.People having even little apprehension about infection must visit the testing centre, Kumar said and urged the citizens not to hide their travel history.The chief minister appealed to the people to stay wherever they are without getting disturbed as the state government is making every efforts to help them.