COVID-19 death toll rises to 4 in Bengal, total cases 32

The death toll due to the coronavirus pandemic climbed to four in West Bengal on Tuesday after two patients succumbed to the contagion, while 10 new cases were reported, the highest single-day rise in the state so far.

Five people did not have any travel history, while the rest either came in contact with a positive patient or had a travel history outside the state. The two persons who died were among the 10 new cases, officials said.

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A total of 1,03,391 people are under home isolation in various parts of the state as on Tuesday, while the total number of positive cases stands at 32. Two persons have earlier died due to the disease.

The state government so far had identified 70 people, who had attended a religious gathering in Delhi's Nizamuddin earlier this month.

The two persons who died of the disease in West Bengal on Tuesday are a 47-year-old woman, who had recently visited Dooars in north Bengal, but had no history of foreign travel, and a middle-aged man whose details are not yet known.

"The woman, a resident of Salkia in Howrah district, died in a hospital late on Monday night before test results came. Her test results confirmed that she was infected with the coronavirus," a health department official said.

The department has sent all the family members and those who came in touch with her to home quarantine. It also started an inquiry to find out whether or not any family member of the deceased had recently returned from abroad.

After the death of the woman, nurses, and Group D staff of the hospital staged a demonstration, alleging that the woman was initially admitted to the general ward and they attended to her for nearly three hours without wearing personal protective gear.

The fourth person died at the Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital. He was admitted to the hospital in the morning and died in the evening. His tests reports, which came after his death, confirmed that he was suffering from COVID- 19, officials said.

Of the eight new active cases, three are from Kolkata and five from West Midnapore, East Midnapore, Howrah and North 24 Parganas districts. One from Salt Lake and another from Tollygunge area are undergoing treatment at separate private hospitals in Kolkata.

"They did not have any history of travelling abroad or to any other state. We are trying to find out whether or not any of their family members had gone overseas or to other states. Family members of the two will also be quarantined," he said.

Another man, in his early 30s who had recently returned from Maharashtra, was admitted to the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital.

The details of the fourth person who is in a hospital in Belgharia in North 24 Parganas is yet to be known.

Four more cases were reported from two private hospitals at Howrah, Dum Dum and R G Kar Medical College and a state hospital at Egra in East Midnapore district.

Meanwhile, the 18-year-old youth, who was reported to be the first coronavirus case in the state, was released from the Beleghata ID Hospital after being declared fit. The hospital also discharged two more people -- a woman from Habra and a resident of Ballygunge.

State Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay tweeted that the state government was trying to identify those who had attended a religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin earlier this month.

"All those from West Bengal who have participated in this event are being identified and will be immediately tested for COVID-19 and put under mandatory 14 days quarantine," Bandopadhyay tweeted.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee donated Rs 5 lakh each to the prime minister's national relief fund and the state emergency relief fund from her personal savings to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In the evening, she visited the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar to boost the morale of the police personnel who are working round the clock to ensure safety and security of the people.

The state government also issued an order asking cable TV operators not to disconnect services on account of non-payment of monthly fee.

Meanwhile, after days of political bonhomie, a verbal spat broke out between the BJP and the TMC over the distribution of relief materials to people, after the saffron party alleged that the ruling party was not allowing the Opposition to take part in relief work.

The TMC denied the claims and said the government was doing everything to help the people in distress.

"If the chief minister visits various parts of the city and distributes relief material, then it's fine. But when the BJP is trying to do the same, we are stopped in the name of the prohibition of assembly of more than seven people. This is absolutely unacceptable," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said.

TMC leader and minister Tapas Roy said people should refrain from indulging in politics at this time of crisis.