Kolkata: West Bengal recorded a new high of 2,282 new COVID-19 cases Monday. The additions pushed the total tally in the state to 44,769, the health department said. Another 35 people succumbed to COVID-19 infection, raising the death toll to 1,147. The number of active cases climbed to 17,204.
This huge spike prompted the Mamata Banerjee government to announce Monday a complete lockdown in West Bengal for two days every week. She said strict curbs were required to contain the community transmission of COVID-19 underway in a few areas.
Altogether 1,535 people have been discharged from hospitals since Sunday evening. The new discharges improved the COVID-19 recovery rate in West Bengal to 59.01 per cent, the health department said in its bulletin.
All offices and transport services will remain suspended on those two days every week, Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said. He added that the ongoing ‘broad-based containment approach (lockdown)’ will continue simultaneously. “This week, the total lockdown will be in force Thursday and Saturday,” informed Bandyopadhyay. “The next week, the shutdown will be clamped Wednesday (July 29) while the second date will be decided July 27. Emergency services will be allowed during the two days,” Bandyopadhyay added.
The decision to lock down West Bengal completely for two days every week was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the secretariat.
Bandyopadhyay assured the government was taking all measures, such as increasing hospital beds and arranging more ambulances, to curb the spread of the disease.
It has been noticed that 4-5 per cent of patients with serious symptoms and 7-8 per cent of patients with moderate symptoms were getting hospitalised. Around 87-88 per cent of people testing positive for COVID-19 are asymptomatic and can stay in home isolation ‘unless the symptoms aggravate and they are advised hospitalisation’, Bandyopadhyay said.
