Form of words:
New Delhi: Days after huge crowds took to the streets during Durga Puja festival in Kolkata, the Modi government has written to the West Bengal government asking it to take note of the rising Covid cases in the city and review the cases and deaths immediately.
In a letter dated October 22, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan flagged the rise in the number of cases in Kolkata as well as an increase in the test positivity rate and a fall in the testing numbers.
“The district has recorded higher volume of average daily new cases in the week ended October 21, as well as an increase of over 25 per cent in the previous week (217 cases in the week ended October 14 to 271 in the week ended October 21). Cases)… The district has registered an increase of about 27 per cent in the positivity rate in the last week (from 5.6 per cent in the week ended 14 October to 7.1 per cent in the week ended 21 October). Weekly testing trends in this district are also showing a declining trend. It calls for more proactive action on the testing front,” read the letter.
This year Durga Puja was celebrated from 12-15 October. Officials say that even though the state government has framed rules on crowd control and use of masks, both seem to have been violated on a large scale.
West Bengal has reported 20,936 cases and 343 deaths in the last 30 days, accounting for 3.4 per cent of India’s new cases and 4.7 per cent of deaths in the same period. However, the letter of the central government is related only to Kolkata.
The Health Secretary said that if the basic public health strategy of testing, tracking, treatment, COVID-appropriate behavior and vaccination is not followed strictly, the cases are likely to rise rapidly.
“With the current festive season it is important to emphasize the importance of covid-safe festivities to sustain the collective gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic. The state should ensure strict adherence to Covid-appropriate behavior and focus on coverage of the second dose of all eligible beneficiaries,” Bhushan wrote.
27% complete vaccination
According to data available with the health ministry, around 27 per cent of adults in West Bengal have been fully vaccinated and 72.1 per cent have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
There has been a steady increase in daily Covid cases in the state since October 16, when 443 new cases were reported. On October 24, this number touched 989. On Monday, it came down slightly to 805. With 2,001 active cases, Kolkata has the highest disease burden in the state.
According to the state government’s latest Covid bulletin, 2.95 per cent of the hospital beds earmarked for the disease are currently full, while 6,547 people are under home isolation. There are a total of 23,947 COVID beds in 203 dedicated hospitals in the state.
Of the 19,066 deaths in West Bengal since the start of the pandemic, the highest – 41.6 per cent – have occurred in the 61-75 years age group, followed by the 46-60 age group at 26.3 per cent, and 22.2 per cent. Above 75 age group. Two thirds of those who died are men.
(Edited by Neha Mahajan)
Read also: Shutdowns, debts, layoffs: Bengal tanners pushed to shore say third Covid wave will end us
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