Four die in Siliguri -65 new cases found- one death in Kurseong -Lockdown in four GPs -Malda Railway hospital Police outpost sealed

SNS, SILIGURI, 26 JULY 2020: Four persons, who had tested positive for Covid-19, died in the past 24 hours in Siliguri, while Covid reports of two more persons who died are awaited.

A 51-year-old woman of Saktigarh under Ward 31 in Siliguri was brought-dead at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) last night. A 46-year-old person of Champasari died at the Desun (Covid) Hospital today. A 70-year-old resident of Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district also died at the NBMCH today.

A person of Bhaktinagar area in Siliguri, aged 60, also died in the NBMCH today. He had been tested positive for the virus. A 58-year-old person of Bagdogra and a 68-yearold resident of Islampur in North Dinajpur district also died in the NBMCH. Their Covid test reports are awaited.

Meanwhile, 65 Covid-19 cases were detected in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area in the past 24 hours. Darjeeling district officials also said that 31 Covid patients were today discharged from different treatment facilities after they were cured.

Lockdown in four GPs

The administration has clamped a complete lock-down in areas under the four gram panchayats-- Dabgram I, Dabgram II, Fulbari I and Fulbari II, under the Rajganj block in Jalpaiguri district to contain the spread of Covid 19 from 6 pm today. Lock-down will be in force till 10 pm on 30 July.

"As cases of Covid-19 are steadily rising, four gram panchayats have come under complete lockdown from 6 pm today. I am requesting people to stay indoors and remain safe. The lockdown will continue ti11 30 July," said tourism minister and MLA from the Dabgram-Fulbari Assembly constituency, Gautam Deb.

Fourteen wards wider the Dabgram area in Siliguri are already under lockdown as part of the lockdown in all the 47 Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) wards since l6 July. Earlier, the Jalpaiguri district administration has declared 31 areas under those gram panchayats as containment zones.

Deb slams CPI-M leaders' objections

Mr Deb slammed CPI-M leaders for opposing a decision to convert the Siliguri Municipal Corporation Indoor Stadium into a safe home. He said it was not time for politics or quarrel. He added that the administration would be compelled to take steps if they continued to raise objections.

Local people, including CPI-M party activists, had protested when Siliguri Sub Divisional officer, Sumant Sahay, reviewed the infrastructure of the stadium on 23 July.

"After a decision taken on arranging for a safe house for 33 wards of the SMC area in a district-level task force meeting, the coordinator of ward 29 (Saradindu Chakrabarty) and some others opposed the decision by staging a protest. Everyone has to understand this is not the time for politics when people have been severely hit by the pandemic. Such oppositions are unwarranted. We do not want any conflict at this time, and we are exercising patience, but if this continues to happen, then the administration will take necessary steps," he said.

The minister added that civic body officials and officers of the Siliguri administration will hold a meeting on this issue on 28 July.

Mr Deb also reminded that the former SMC deputy mayor, Rambhajan Mahato, and ward coordinator and CPI-M leader Snigdha Hazra had led a protest against the administration's move to turn Medica North Bengal Clinic at Pradhan Nagar into a hospital for treatment of Covid-19 patients on 10 April.

Man dies in Kurseong

In Kurseong, one senior citizen from the Chimney Deorali area died at his home today. His Covid report later showed positive for the coronavirus. He had on 24 July visited a private medical clinic after he had breathing problems, it islearnt, where doctors advised him undergo Covid-19 test.

Confirming the death and the positive report, GTA Chairman Anit Thapa said the man's body will be cremated as per the health guidelines. Sources said family members had been asked to maintain distance from the body. Also today, one Covid case was reported from the Kurseong Municipality area. 

24 new cases in Alipurduar district

In Alipurduar district, 24 persons were tested Covid 19 positive in Alipurduar district today. Four of the 24 persons are residents of Alipurduar town, it is learnt.

Two joumalists in Alipurduar town were also tested positive today, sources said.

A total of 259 persons have tested positive for the virus in the district so far, sources said.

Malda Railway hospital Police outpost sealed 

The Railway Hospital at Jhaljhalia under the English Bazaar police station and the Mangalbari police outpost under the Malda police station were sealed today after some Covid-19 cases were detected there.

"Some staff members in those two institutions were found positive in recent reports that the health department received, and the authorities, without further delay, went for a total shutdown of these buildings," sources said.

On the other hand, administrative officials have claimed that the number of infections has come down as a result of the strict lockdown in two municipal areas of English Bazaar and Old Malda.

"There used to be over 50 cases regularly in Malda, with a huge number of them from the EBM area, but in the last two or three days, the number has come down to less than 50. This may be a positive outcome of our efforts," said an official.

Meanwhile, Mostaque Alam, the district president of the Congress, in a letter to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, has alleged that many people in the district with coronavirus symptoms are dying undiagnosed after they were allegedly denied treatment in Covid hospitals. Mr Alam also referred to the death of one Biplab Murmu, who, he said died at the doorsteps of the Covid hospital after being sent back without admission. He has also sought intervention from the CM to what he said was "skeletal condition" of health facilities in Malda.

On the other hand, 34 new cases of infection were found in Malda district last night. Most of the fresh cases are from the English Bazaar Block (11) and English Bazaar Municipality (7), sources said. Ratua- II had five cases and Chanchal-I four, while there were cases in other blocks like Chanthal-II, Kaliachak-I, and Old Malda too. The district has so far reported more than 2050 Covid- 19 cases, with nine deaths. However, over 1600 have already been cured.