40 fresh virus cases, new labs begin tests ....Bengal conducted 947 more tests in the past 24 hours, taking the total number to 9,880

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya, TT,  26.04.20, Calcutta: The Bengal government on Saturday reported 40 more novel coronavirus cases, taking the total number of patients to 423. Two patients have recovered and have been discharged from hospital over the past 24 hours, during which no Covid-19 death was reported.

The total number of Covid-19 patients cured in the state stand at 105. The death toll of 18 remains unchanged.

In the 27-day period between March 18 — when the first Covid-19-positive case was reported in Bengal — and April 14, there were a total of 120 active cases. In the 11 days since, 374 new cases have been reported.

“The next couple of weeks will be crucial in terms of which way the state’s Covid-19 situation goes. So far, we have done exemplarily well in tackling the pandemic…. Tight vigil will remain in the containment zones of the high-prevalence areas in Calcutta, Howrah and North 24-Parganas,” said a minister.

In recent weeks, over 80 per cent of the new cases have been reported from the three densely populated south Bengal districts.

Bengal, according to health department figures, conducted 947 more tests in the past 24 hours, taking the total number to 9,880.

Over the past seven days, the state has conducted 5,249 tests.

“The Centre (its agency Indian Council of Medical Research) has approved the 13th laboratory in the state — Suraksha Diagnostic Private Limited — to start testing for the novel coronavirus, and it has tested 70 samples already. Another newly sanctioned lab, at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, has tested 60 samples,” said a source in the government.

The source said the state was hoping for testing approval from the Centre for Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital and Bankura Medical College and Hospital next week.

“We have been steadily increasing the daily test count. Besides, efforts are underway to reduce the time taken for testing…. For several central and western districts, samples are being sent from far away, by road, which is taking time. It will reduce as soon as we get approval for testing facilities at the medical colleges in Burdwan, Bankura and Murshidabad,” he added.

Bengal currently has 5,215 people at the 582 state-run quarantine centres, following the release of 12,018 people. There are 23,618 people in home quarantine, following the release of 36,975.

The state has so far distributed to its hospitals 4.55 lakh personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, 2.71 lakh N95 masks, 18.65 lakh other masks, 1.04 lakh litres of hand sanitiser and 8.95 lakh pairs of gloves.

Industry nod

The government has received 4,153 applications from industries and enterprises for reopening amid the lockdown.

“We have approved 1,743 applications so far. A total of 1,291 have been rejected for being inside or close to containment zones or requiring a high number of personnel to function,” said an official, adding that the remaining 1,119 applications were under process.