West Bengal: 15 more test positive — highest single day jump takes count to 37..... Thousands of workers have returned to West Bengal in the last one week after the Central government announced a 21-day lockdown to fight the spread of COVID-19.

ENS | Kolkata | April 1, 2020 : The number of positive cases jumped to 37 in the state on Tuesday as 15 more people were found to be infected with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) — the highest single-day rise. Of the 15 patients, three died, taking the death toll to five in the state.

According to the State Health Department, the number of quarantined people soared to around 1.5 lakh from 47,000 the previous day on account of reverse migration of workers from other states. Another reason cited by the department was that the state government had not compiled reports from three districts.

Thousands of workers have returned to West Bengal in the last one week after the Central government announced a 21-day lockdown to fight the spread of COVID-19.

Besides the three patients who died on Tuesday, others included the wife and two children of an Army doctor, who had tested positive; two from Hooghly; a woman who had returned from Milan in Italy; a 57-year-old fast food stall owner; a 32-year-old youth from Tollygunj; a 50-year-old man from Salt Lake; and another woman, whose age could not be verified. The details of other patients were not available.

(KalimNews: Four family members of the Covid-19 patient of Kalimpong district who died on  30th March at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital also tested positive. Their tests resulted positive at NBMCH and sent to NICED for confirmation.)

Health officials said the fast food stall owner had not travelled outside Kolkata.

They feared community transmission as they could not trace the source of infection for some of the patients with no history of travelling abroad.

The patients were admitted to various hospitals.

“They (two patients from Salt Lake and Tollygunj) did not have any history of travelling abroad or to any other state. We are trying to find out whether or not any of their family members had gone overseas or to other states. Family members of the two will also be quarantined,” an official said.

The 32-year-old youth, who had returned from Maharashtra, was admitted to Midnapore Medical College and Hospital and later shifted to Beleghata ID Hospital.

“Till date, samples have been collected from 543 suspects for test of COVID-19 and the results of 512 people were negative. Samples from 27 people have come positive. Results of four samples are awaited. The health condition of all people under surveillance is stable,” read the health bulletin.

Three people, including the first COVID case of the state, have recovered and were discharged from hospital.

The 18-year-old youth, who was reported to be the first coronavirus case in the state, was released from the Beleghata ID Hospital after being declared fit. The hospital also discharged two more people – a woman from Habra and a resident of Ballygunge.

West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay tweeted that the state government was trying to identify those who had attended a religious congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin earlier this month.

“All those from West Bengal who have participated in this event are being identified and will be immediately tested for COVID-19 and put under mandatory 14 days quarantine,” Bandopadhyay tweeted.