Covid-19 forces top bank branch closure- Seven staff test positive; Siliguri sees two deaths, six new cases

SNS, 23 June 2020, SILIGURI:The main branch of a nationalised bank on Hill Cart Road in Siliguri was shut down for seven days today after some employees there tested positive for Covid-19, even as deaths continued to be reported in the town.

Officials said seven employees of the credit card section of the Siliguri branch of the State Bank of India had tested positive for the virus.

Bank officials said they mainly used to perfoming field duties."

"We have closed the branch for seven days as part of precautionary steps. Disinfection will be carried out here," said a senior branch official. Administrative sources said the Darjeeling district administration had yesterday directed the branch to remain shut for seven days following the infection and as part of containment measures. 

Meanwhile, two persons died in two separate dedicated hospitals for Covid-19 patients in Siliguri today. A 66 year old resident of Ward 46 died in the Desun Hospital while a 54 year old person of Ward 17 died in Dr Chhang's (Covid) Hospital.

Sources said the resident of Ward 46 was admitted in the hospital yesterday. A total of 12 persons who had tested positive for Covid- 19 have died in Darjeeling district, including 10 in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) area, so far. The Ward 17 resident was admitted in the hospital at Matigara on 20 June.

On the other hand, six more Covid-19 cases were detected in the civic body area, three in Ward 28, and one each in Ward 1,4 and 17-today. Being a slum area, Ward 28 has witnessed a spurt Covid cases in the past few days.

Asok Bhattacharya repeat test positive

Chairperson of the Board of administrators at the SMC and veteran CPI-M leader Asok Bhattacharya has tested positive for Covid- 19 in 'repeat test' conducted today, sources at the private hospital where he is undergoing treatment said. Mr Bhattacharya's health is otherwise stable and "symptomatically better," the sources said.

Jewellery shops shut

After Bidhan Market and HongKong Market, jewellery shops at Kalibari and New Cinema Road in Siliguri downed shutters today and they will remain closed till 30 June. A goldsmith in the area has tested positive for Covid- 19, sources said. Some other shops in the area will also remain closed, it is learnt. There are around 100 jewellery shops in the area.

"We have decided to suspend business on behalf of the Deshbandhu Para Byabsayee Samity and Siliguri Swarna Silpi Unnayan Samity till 30 June from today to prevent the spread of the disease," said Biplab Roy Muhuri, the general secretary of the Brihattara Siliguri Kuchra Babdsayee Samiti, an apex body of different market committees and an organisation of more than 30,000 retail traders of the town and adjacent areas.

36 new cases in South Dinajpur

On the other hand, common people and officials are concerned in South Dinajpur, as Covid- 19 cases have witnessed a spike. Thirty-six new cases were detected in the district, including two from the Balurghat Municipality area for the first time. Four police personnel, five civic volunteers, one lady homeguard, two village police personnel and one ASI of police in Gangarampur are among the fresh cases, sources said. The number of cases in the district has now gone up to 162, while 78 have already been cured and discharged from hospital, it is learnt.

The other fresh cases are from the Hili block (6 cases), Tapan (five), Harirampur (five), Balurghat (nine).

"All the patientshave been taken to the Safe Home Centres in different blocks," a health official said.

"Eight more patients were discharged from the Safe Home Centres after they tested negative for the virus. There is nothing to be worried about. The situation is still under control and random tests are going on." the official added.

12 more Covld cases in North Dinajpur

In North Dinajpur, more than 12 persons have freshly tested positive for the virus in the Raiganj Sub-Division. Sources said the 12 are residents of rural areas in Raiganj, Kaliyaganj and Itahar and that they have now been admitted in the Covid hospital in Raiganj. The fresh cases have taken the total cases in the district to 260. "Though the cases have gone up, the recovery rate is also very good in the district. More than 90 percent of the total patients have so far recovered and returned homes," a district health official said.

In Malda, 15 days of confinement in the house of his in-laws could not save a migrant worker of Rasiladaha village in Sahapur gram panchayat under the Malda police station from going for Covid-19 tests. Neighbours compelled him to go for the test as he returned his home. "The labourer returned from Chennai almost 15 days ago, and he hid himself in Kotalpukur village under the Habibpur police station to avoid the tests,"sources said.

He finally tested positive for the virus last night and was sent to the Covid Hospital at Narayanpur under the Malda police station, officials said. Tension mounted as there are four children and pregnant women in his family and he had mingled around with neighbours at his in-laws too.

an apex body of different market committees and an organisation of more than 30.000 retail traders of the town and adjacent areas.

According to health department sources, 25 fresh cases of the novel coronavirus were detected in Malda.The affected are from Kaliachak, English Bazaar, Old Malda and other blocks, which also included persons without any travel history.

The fresh cases have taken the total count of the affected in Malda to 460 now.