Darjeeling IPS officer, SMC official among infected, Seven more die in Siliguri hospitals

2 from Alipurduar including a TMC leader, 1 each of Darjeeling, Bhaktinagar and Matelli, died.

117 fresh Covid cases in Darjeeling district

SNS, SILIGURI, 3 OCTOBER 20: Seven persons, including a Trinamul

Congress leader, who had tested positive for Covid-19, died in different health facilities in the past 24 hours.

Santosh Barman, the Falakata block president of the ruling Trinamul Congress in Alipurduar district, died in a private hospital in Siliguri today. He was tested positive for Covid- 19 days after he had been admitted in the hospital for other health problems, sources said. He was 67.

The popular leader of the ruling party is survived by his wife and two sons.

A 62-year-old resident of Bhaktinagar in Siliguri died in the respiratory intensive care unit of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital yesterday.

Two persons, a 64 year-old resident of Meteli in Jalpaiguri district and a 62-year-old from Falakata in Alipurduar district died in the designated hospital for Covid patients (Desun Hospital) at Kawakhali today.

A 73-year-old resident of Siliguri, a 42-year-old resident of Darjeeling and a 57 - year-old person of Jalpaiguri also died in a private hospital, sources said.

117 fresh Covid cases in Darjeeling district

Meanwhile, 117 Covid- 19 cases were detected in Darjeeling district today, including 47 in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), five in Darjeeling Municipality, five in Kharibari, three in Kurseong Municipality, eight in Sukna, 13 in Matigara, four in Mirik, 18 in Naxalbari, seven in Phansidewa, four in Sukhia Pokhari, and three in Takdah, sources said.

Separately, the Jalpaiguri portion of the SMC saw 23 new cases of Covid-19, they added.

The fresh cases included an IPS officer in Darjeeling and a top official at the SMC, sources said.

A total of 79 patients were released from hospitals and home isolation.

71 more in Malda

In Malda, another 71 samples were tested positive for the virus last night, taking the total number of affected in the district to over 6300 now, sources said. Fifty-five persons were tested positive in the VRDL. in the Malda Medical College and Hospital, while the rest were detected through the rapid antigen tests.

"English Bazaar Municipality area had 12 cases, while the others were distributed among the other blocks of the district," a source said.