This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.

Despite Lockdown Days West Bengal's Daily Covid Count Rises After Brief Dip

Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has said it will do away with barricades outside the homes of Covid patients to reduce stigma.
A health worker collects a swab sample from West Bengal Minister Firad Hakim to test for the coronavirus at the West Bengal Legislative Assembly house in Kolkata, India on September 08,2020.
NurPhoto via Getty Images
A health worker collects a swab sample from West Bengal Minister Firad Hakim to test for the coronavirus at the West Bengal Legislative Assembly house in Kolkata, India on September 08,2020.

West Bengal on Tuesday registered 3,091 new Covid-19 cases across the state.

The total number of people infected by the novel coronavirus rose to 1,86,956, while the active cases stood at 1,86,956. The pandemic has claimed a total of 3,677 lives in the state so far.

After a dip in the end of August and the first few days of September, the number of daily cases being recorded are on the rise again.

Bengal recorded over 3,000 cases everyday between August 14 and August 23, the numbers had dipped from August 24, but remained in the high 2,000s.

This was despite the lockdowns through August and two days in September.

The numbers began rising again from September 5 with 3,042 new cases.

On September 6, the state recorded 3,087 cases and on September 7 it recorded 3,077.

No barricades near homes of Covid patients

As coronavirus patients continue to face stigma, the West Bengal government on Tuesday ordered district magistrates of all districts not to put barricades in front of homes of Covid-19 patients.

The Telegraph quoted a message from state health secretary Narayan Swarup Nigam to the district magistrates as saying, “Please ensure that no physical barricade/blockage with rope/bamboo or of any kind of restriction should be done in front of any individual house/flat as part of containment measure.”

The barricades were being put up earlier to cordon off homes and apartments of Covid patients. The report said this was to do away with ostracism against Covid patients.

8 test positive before Bengal monsoon session

While it was decided that the Bengal Assembly monsoon session will be held with following ICMR guidelines and everyone who entered the house will have to go through Covid tests, 8 persons tested positive after such tests on Tuesday.

PTI reported that a total of 467 persons were tested at a temporary testing centre since 10 am on Tuesday and more such tests will be conducted on Wednesday.

Speaker Biman Banerjee told the news agency, “A total of eight people tested positive; out of them, two are assembly staffs. Four police personnel who were on duty inside the premises, one media person and a driver examined also tested positive. Necessary steps as per norms have been taken.”

Among those who were tested are MLAs, assembly staff and media persons and security personnel.

Sources told PTI that in the assembly, MLAs, staff members and journalists, planning to attend the proceedings, formed separate queues on the premises of the assembly, and underwent rapid antigen tests, while maintaining social distancing norms.

The West Bengal house monsoon session will be held for only a day on September 9 due to the ongoing pandemic, instead of two-day as proposed earlier.

(With PTI inputs)

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.