MillenniumPost
Bengal

Step up contact tracing: State asks dist admin

KOLKATA State Health Department has asked all the district administrations to strengthen contact tracing so that any further spread of Covid infection can be checked. The district officials have also been directed to crack down harder on those who are flouting Covid norms.

Sources said contact tracing has been given utmost importance and the district health officials were advised to isolate those people who have come in contact with the infected ones.

It may be mentioned here the process of contact tracing might have been affected to some extent following the notification of Assembly poll in Bengal.

Even the people in public places do not always wear masks. The State government has recently instructed all the District magistrates to ensure the Covid protocols are properly followed. The officials from the districts like North 24-Parganas, Kolkata, Howrah have been asked to quarantine those who have come in contact with the infected ones for 14 days. District based control rooms may be opened. The number of daily infected patients is higher in these three districts.

A section of health officials have viewed that the prolonged election process has also contributed to the rise of fresh cases in Bengal. The Election Commission has been conducting the Assembly election of Bengal in eight phases leading to more exposure of people to the virus, feel some of the health experts in the state.

According to a senior health official, the fresh Covid cases have gone up in some pockets as contact tracing did not happen properly the way it ought to be and there was also a rampant violation of Covid protocols by a section of people. It may be mentioned here that various political party supporters were also found to be taking part without masks. Social distancing norms cannot be properly implemented as the election rallies see a huge surge of people. Apprehending that the Covid cases might go up following the election notification, Bengal based doctors have written to the Election Commission urging them to impose some restrictions on the political parties.

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