'Community transmission has not yet taken place in Barasat Lok Sabha constituency'

Kolkata: Community transmission has not yet taken place in any parts of the Barasat Lok Sabha constituency due to rigorous

contact tracing and other surveillance mechanisms which are being followed, asserted Member of Parliament from Barasat, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar.

Dr Ghosh Dastidar conceded that there are few pockets where Covid cases have been reported but the situation has not yet gone up to the extent of community transmission as she along with the district administration had carried out a relentless awareness campaign.

The people are coming to the fever clinics for Covid tests when they develop symptoms, she stated.

"We have picked and followed up each Covid case and the contact tracing was carried out to identify those who might have come in direct contact with the infected patients. The district administration more particularly the police have done a fantastic job to reach out to the people to ensure that suspected patients are in isolation. We are monitoring the situation on a case-by-case basis," Ghosh Dastidar said,

adding: "We put in place the whole mechanism right from March before the pandemic broke out. Containment strategies are being implemented in a very effective manner. Each time there is a Covid case reported at any place, the police and fire brigade swing into action and put up an enclosure around the house, sanitize the premises and its adjoining areas."

Taking a dig at the BJP led government at the Centre for 'irrational' handling of migrant labourer issue, Dr Ghosh Dastidar said that Centre's decision to send back the labourers without any proper plan had led to the rise in Covid infection across the district.

"We sympathize with the plight the migrant labourers have gone through. We have also extended financial assistance. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee introduced a new scheme, 'Snehar Porosh' for them. But the transmission could be checked if the Centre had identified them and kept them under proper isolation," she said.

"Isolation centers and safe homes have come up adequately at all the sub-divisions including those set up through MPLAD funds. PPEs worth Rs 14-15 lakh have been given to the Barasat district

hospital so that no health workers remain unprotected. BJP and CPI(M) jointly

opposed the setting up of an isolation center near NH 34 only for the sake of politics. Rapid antigen tests are being conducted over 5 centers

under the constituency to cover maximum number of people in minimum possible time," said Ghosh Dastidar.