Sample testing in Bengal goes up to 32,752
Kolkata: At least seven people died of COVID-19 in Bengal in the last 24 hours taking the death toll in the state to 79, the Health department said on Thursday.
The number of active cases in the state rose of 1,101, with 92 more people testing positive for the infection during the period. The total confirmed Coronavirus cases rose to 1,548, the department said in its bulletin.
The state has so far registered 72 deaths due to comorbidities, where the COVID-19 was incidental, the bulletin added.
Thirty-one people have been discharged from different hospitals since Wednesday evening.
According to the Health Department, 2,611 samples were examined on Thursday. The number of samples tested in the state so far climbed to 32,752.
In another development, for the convenience of all those stranded within and outside the state, an automated e-pass system has been developed by the state government and uploaded in the 'Egiye Bangla' portal. The state government has floated WhatsApp number 8017845555 and those stranded can also send messages to 51969.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Doctors' Forum has written a letter to Rajiva Sinha, state Chief Secretary, stating that many healthcare workers, including doctors from various healthcare institutions, have tested positive for the virus and two of the doctors have succumbed to COVID-19 while several others have been forced to go in quarantine. Few of the institutes have been forced to limit their operational services partly or fully for extensive decontamination of the facilities. The care of non-Covid patients are also significantly compromised due to such constraints, says the forum.
It has, therefore, felt the importance of opening more and more testing facilities across the state, both in government and private laboratories. The Health department along with the ICMR must expedite the same, the letter states.
