Coronavirus: GIS mapping of 'vulnerable areas' in state

Kolkata: The Bengal government has started multi-layer GIS mapping using all available data to identify the vulnerable areas to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

This comes at a time when 12 COVID-19 patients, who were admitted in Beliaghata ID Hospital, have recovered and there is no new report of any death due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, while addressing the press at Nabanna, said on Monday: "Now, we are identifying the hotspots and clusters where there are possibilities of the spread of the disease. We should be able to identify the areas in the next one or two days by the five-layer GIS mapping. Accordingly, steps will be taken to strengthen the ongoing process and work to fight against COVID-19 in those areas."

Data, including travel history of people who returned from abroad or other states, will be taken into consideration while carrying out the GIS mapping. At the same time, the areas if there are any, where there is a sudden rise of people suffering from fever and breathing trouble will also be taken into consideration. The state government will take additional measures for the 'vulnerable spots'.

Providing COVID-19 related data of the past 24 hours, Sinha said: "There is nothing to panic. The situation in the state is within a safe limit. There are 11 new positive cases in the state in the past 24 hours taking the total number of people suffering due to the disease to 49. Out of those 11, six are family members of the patient from Kalimpong, while the other five are from different parts of the state."

In the past 24 hours, 84 more quarantine centres have been set up taking the total count of such units to 516.

Assuring that there is no report of any community transmission in the state yet, Sinha said: "Necessary directions and guidelines regarding the proper functioning of isolation centres have been given to the concerned authorities. Isolation ward does not mean only accommodating two patients with a 3-metre distance between them. Instead, there has to be a completely separate set up and the guidelines provided have to be followed properly."

He further added that at present there are seven laboratories for swab tests including two private ones. Five state-run laboratories are at NICED, SSKM Hospital, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Midnapore Medical College and Hospital and School of Tropical Medicine while the two private ones are Apollo Hospital and Tata Medical Centre. "We have applied to allow setting up of more, and information in this regard will be given as soon as ICMR gives the necessary clearances."

Member of the state government's expert committee, Dr Abhijit Chowdhury said: "Though we are not taking the matter lightly, I would like to say as per the doctors at Beliaghata ID Hospital, spontaneous recovery of patients is taking place with supportive care."