Darj district Covid cases steady during Durga Puja

A total of 593 cases were recorded from Sasthi to Dashami

SANKHA GHOSH, SNS, SILIGURI, 29 October 2020 : The surge in Covid-19 cases that was seen before Durga Puja in Darjeeling district continued during the Puja. More than 100 cases were detected on a single day a few days before the Puja and the spurt continued in the district. There was, however, a respite when the district recorded only 54 cases on Monday and 59 yesterday.

Meanwhile, the health department has alerted districts about a steep spike in the number of cases during the upcoming festivities.

A total of 593 cases were recorded from Sasthi to Dashami (22-26 October) in the district, sources said. It recorded 145 cases on Saptami (23 October), which is considered the highest single day figure so far. The lowest of 54 cases in the past five days was recorded on Dashami (26 October). Of the total cases, the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) alone saw 335, including in wards that fall in Jalpaiguri district.

The civic body covers 33 wards in Datjeeling district and 14 in Jalpaiguri.

Though there was low turnout of revelers and devotees on Sasthi (22 October) in Siliguri, the footfall went up in the next four days. It, however, was nowhere near the crowd in previous years, puja organisers said.

However, revellers queued up to enter the marqees without maintaining physical distancing near some puja pandals. People also thronged the ghats of the Mahananda river during immersion yesterday

According to data, 134 Covid- 19 cases were detected on Sasthi (22 October), 145 on Saptami (23 October), 132 on Astami (24 October) 128 on Navami (25 October) and 54 on Dashami.

Health department officials said that lack of preventive measures could have been the reason for such number of cases to be recorded.

"Almost the same number of people had continued to be tested positive even a few days before the Pujas. The crowd swelled at the markets for pre-puja shopping, while many flouted the physical distancing norms, and many were without masks. All this may have triggered the spurt, The rate of infection during the Pujas will be reflected within a few days," said a health department official.

The officer on special duty for Covid-19 in north Bengal. Dr Susanta Kumar Roy, said he had asked chief medical officers of health to remain alert for the next few days.

According to the district chief medical officer of health Dr Pralay Acharya, more focus would be laid on preventive steps during the upcoming festivals.

"We have taken up necessary steps to check Covid- 19 cases. The admission rate of patients was not abnormal during Durga Puja.We will lay more emphasis on proven five measures for the upcoming festivals," he said.

The district had registered 722 Covid-19 cases in the last seven days (between 50 October and 21 October) before the beginning of the Pujas. The SMC had logged 393 cases during this period.

"During this seven-day pre-Puja period, more than 100 cases were registered in five days, except for 15 and 18 October, when 87 and 76 had been reported. Durga Puja began on 22 October and the daily figures had been higher," said a health specialist tracking Covid cases.

Siliguri Fights Corona, a comortium of voluntary organistaions, however, observed that despite several awareness drives, the response of the crowd was not satisfactory.

"Many puja organisers followed the Calcutta High Court order, making Durga Puja pandals no entry zones.There had been massive awareness programmes from all quarters, but we have observed the crowd was uncontrolled, and swarms of revellers went pandal-hopping, and a good number of street food stalls were opened.A large number of people gathered at the ghats to watch the immersion, but they did not pay heed to physical distancing. We hope the administration will take steps to prevent such trends during the next festivals," said the joint convener of the organistation, Animesh Bose.