South Dinajpur: 130 test +ve in 1 day

BALURGHAT: South Dinajpur district administration has decided to shut down one of the main markets in Balurghat following rapid spread of COVID-19 in the area.

Raghunathpur market will remain closed until further order as decided by the district administration. The law enforcers have been directed to follow the instructions.

Local administration has started campaigning among the inhabitants and traders and barricaded the areas to

restrict the movements of the public.

The administration has also requested the residents to cooperate with administration and police.

"We have decided to shutdown Raghunathpur market completely until further notification for growing COVID-19 spread among the locals. We have requested traders and inhabitants to cooperate with the administration," said an official.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday 13 people of the locality tested COVID-19 positive. Following the result, local block and health officials conducted an emergency meeting and decided to shut down the 'overcrowded' market of Raghunathpur.

On Friday, the district administration announced the name of broad-based containment zones in a revised way. Entire Balurghat and

Gangarampur civic areas have been included in that

category.

In addition to this, seven areas from Banshihari, five from Harirampur, four each from Kumarganj and Tapan, three from Balurghat, two each from Hili and Gangarampur and one from Kushmandi have been declared in new broad-based containment zones.

It may be mentioned that 130 people of South Dinajpur tested COVID-19 positive over the past 24 hours taking the case tally to 3,056.

Their swab samples were collected on August 18 and 19 and sent for testing to

Malda.

At least 2,011 patients were discharged from hospital till date.

The active cases stand at 1,026. Of the 130 cases, 28 hail from Kumarganj, 26 from Balurghat, 22 from Kushmandi, 20 from Gangarampur, 10 from Tapan, nine from Banshihari, eight from Harirampur and seven from Hili.

In Balurghat civic areas, 523 COVID-19 positive cases were detected till date. Police were alert to impose state-wide lockdown strictly across the district.