Lockdown to be lifted in GTA area from today, Covid testing set to get priority

Darjeeling: Anit Thapa, Chairman, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration on Saturday stated that the ongoing lockdown in the GTA area will not be extended further. The 14-day long lockdown will be lifted from Sunday.

"I would also like to announce that there is no further extension of the current lockdown. We are constantly monitoring the Covid

situation in GTA region and if required, in future we will announce lockdowns only in containment zones," stated Thapa. The GTA is concentrating on widespread testing. Rapid Antigen Test facilities are now available in Darjeeling and Kurseong Government hospitals in the GTA area. Swab collections for rapid tests are being done in the blocks of GTA.

"If we can maintain our current testing trend, we might even flatten the coronavirus curve in the coming weeks," stated Thapa. With more tests, more positive cases are being identified. The recovery rate has also gone up in the Hills. On Friday, 17 Covid-19 positive cases were recorded in the Darjeeling Hills falling in the GTA area including 9 in the Darjeeling Municipality area; 6 in Bijanbari and 2 in Sukna.

On Saturday the number of cases in the Kalimpong district that also in the GTA, stood at 22, including a lady doctor and her child.