Mirik shut after Covid cases : Malda BDO tests positive

SNS, SILIGURI, 25 JUNE 2020: The administration, the municipality and traders have decided to shut shops in Mirik town for seven days from today after four Covid cases were found at the Mirik Block Primary Health Centre yesterday. They have also appealed to people to not use vehicles during this period.

"This was decided in a meeting today between the Byawasai Sangathan of Mirik town and Krishnanagar, Mirik SDO Aswini Kr Roy and Mirik Municipality Chairman LB Rai, among others," sources said.

"We got the results of the four people yesterday night and they were taken to the Covid hospital in Siliguri this morning. The decision to close down Mirik for seven days was mainly done to see if the virus has spread in Mirik or not. During this time, we will visit houses to see if anyone has symptoms." said Mr Roy, adding that the three nurses belonged to the town area but had very restricted movement. The other person to test positive is a doctor.

He, however, said essential services will not be affected.

On the other hand, 21 Covid 19 cases were detected in areas under the Siliguri Municipal Corporation today. It is learnt that among the cases, Ward 38 has recorded three cases, three cases were found in Ward 31, two cases in Ward 33, and five cases in Ward 2.

In Malda, 20 fresh cases included the Block Development Officer of Old Malda. Nine of the others are from the English Bazaar Municipality area, which also includes a well-known trader of spectacles. 

On the other hand, the BDO was taken to a dedicated Covid hospital in Siliguri for treatment. "The block office has been locked down completely and officials and people who met the BDO have been quarantined," sources said. The last three days saw 50 positive patients admitted in the Covid Hospital at Narayanpur, but the silver lining in the recovery of almost 300 of the almost 500 affected so far.

In South Dinajpur, the health department has started conducting random tests, while swab collection is going on in full swing. The health department has also decided to collect 20 samples every day from the Balurghat municipality. Swab samples were collected from three different points in the municipality today. For government employees at the District Magistrate's office, another sample collection centre has been set up in the Baluchaya conference hall and this will continue for the next five days, officials said.

The aim of the collection drive, according to the district health department, is to detect infected persons and gauge the infection rate in the district.