The West Bengal government said on Saturday that active cases in the state is 178 and the death toll is 12.
Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said that seven people have been discharged.
This means that two more people have died in the state and 16 new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in the last 24 hours.
Mamata wants armed forces in ‘red zones’
‘Red zones’ denoted by the Union health ministry are those areas that have a high number of coronavirus cases and major outbreaks. According to the health ministry four districts in West Bengal come under the category — Kolkata, Howrah, East Medinipur and North 24 Paraganas.
Anandabazaar.com reported chief minister Mamata Banerjee as saying, “Enough is enough. There will be a total lockdown. If needed armed forces will be deployed in Howrah. Police will become more strict in Kolkata. Now one will be allowed to leave their homes. If needed the police will deliver food and essentials to people’s homes.”
Banerjee reportedly described Howrah as a “very sensitive zone” and urged people there to stay indoors and not gather at marketplaces. She reiterated that if the outbreak could not be contained in these ‘red zones’, it will lead to community transmission.
“I urge the people of Howrah to stay at home. Otherwise, we will not be able to contain it (COVID-19). The situation is alarming (in Howrah). As of now, the transmission is restricted within families, but if community transmission begins, it will lead to a major problem,” a PTI report quoted Banerjee as saying during a video conference with district officials and senior police personnel.
“I’m telling this clearly... if needed, deploy armed police in those areas at least for 7 to 10 days. Markets in Howrah will have to be closed by noon,” Banerjee reportedly told officials.
Banerjee said that Kolkata was also a ‘red zone’ and had to be brought down into an orange zone and then to green zone.
““I don’t want to see huge gatherings inside market places. Nobody will be allowed entry to markets without a mask.”
- Mamata Banerjee
Expressing concern over the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the chief minister said the situation, if not dealt with immediately, could lead to disastrous consequences.
“I don’t want to see huge gatherings inside market places. Nobody will be allowed entry to markets without a mask. People must use sanitiser before entering shops,” she stated.
The CM asked administration officials in Howrah to take initiatives to bring the district to ‘orange zone’ from ‘red zone’ over the next 14 days.
Banerjee also directed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma to depute armed policemen at the red zones in the north and the central parts of the city.
“But we must not be complacent. We have to be alert and take all precautionary measures,” she said.
Banerjee also asked the administration in the bordering districts to be alert and keep a check on the entry of people, especially from Bihar and Jharkhand.
She also advised district magistrates and superintendents of police to regularly visit hospitals and keep an eye on distribution of food grains at ration shops.
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Surprise visit to fair price shop
On Friday, to inquire about food grain distribution to ration card holders, Banerjee made a surprise visit to a fair price shop in Kolkata’s Bhowanipore area.
PTI reported that she directed the owner of the shop to keep ready 5-kg monthly quota of rice and pulses to distribute to beneficiaries as and when they arrive.
She suggested this method to cut down on waiting time outside the outlets, PTI reported.
Banerjee asked the shop owner to employ more people, especially those involved in 100-day government projects, if needed, for doling out the foodgrain packets.
Later, she distributed masks among a group of women standing nearby, and others in the adjacent alley.
“Please cover your mouth and nose with masks, or even with a piece of clean cloth. Don’t leave your face unguarded,” she was heard telling people.
BJP alleges govt failure over ration distribution
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh accused the state government of not properly distributing ration materials.
“People are not receiving rations in many areas. In most places, TMC leaders are distributing ration to their own supporters, common people are being deprived. This has been going on, since the beginning of the lockdown,” Ghosh was quoted by PTI as saying.
State Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick called the allegation baseless and politically motivated.
“The state government is providing more than 7.5 crore people with free ration. Making allegations to score political brownie points is not appreciated at this time of crisis,” Mullick said.
The CM on Friday visited a ration shop at Bhabanipur in south Kolkata to ensure that poor people during lockdown get their due quota of foodgrains. She also distributed masks to a group of people in the area.
Banerjee also announced a decision to include all state government accredited journalists in West Bengal and their families into a health insurance scheme of Rs 10 lakh.