Covid-19 Containment Zones In West Bengal At 517; Central Team Says State Has Highest Mortality Rate

The Covid-19 death toll in West Bengal , according to the numbers provided by the state, rose to 61, a big jump in the last 24 hours. 

While this is a high rate anyway, it is unlikely the actual number given the way the state has been counting coronavirus deaths — only those directly linked to Covid-19 are counted, and deaths people who have tested positive, but have co-morbidities are not. 

Amid this situation, Centre’s inter-ministerial team has said that West Bengal has the highest death rates in the country. This is in stark contrast to what state chief secretary Rajiva Sinha had said last week — that the death rate in Bengal was one of the lowest. 

The Telegraph reported that there were 908 active cases in the state, and total confirmed cases was 1,259. 

Sinha said that there had been deaths of 72 other Covid-19 patients from co-morbidities.

Meanwhile, the state announced a host of relaxations in the state on Monday. 

Bengal’s death rate highest, says central team 

After spending two weeks in the state, the Delhi team has told the Mamata Banerjee government that the mortality rate in West Bengal was highest in the country at 12.8%. 

The team, in a letter to the Bengal government, said this was because of low testing and weak surveillance. 

Apurva Chandra, an additional secretary rank officer in the Defence Ministry, was quoted by The Telegraph as saying, “The state government has taken an antagonistic view to the IMCT and has not supported the IMCT in the performance of its duties.”

Chandra, according to a PTI report, said that while the government had government claimed high levels of surveillance, they were no shown any data or results. 

The letter said, “Collating and evaluating a database of this magnitude requires a very robust system to be in place. However, no such evidence was available.”

The state, he said, needs to be transparent and consistent in reporting figures and not downplay the spread of the virus.

The TMC did not react kindly to these allegations. TMC Rajya Sabha MP and senior leader Santanu Sen said, “Since the day the teams arrived, they have been working with a malafide intention to malign the state and its efforts to tackle the pandemic. The BJP has sent these teams with a motive to malign the people of the state.” 

The two teams which arrived in Bengal on April 20, allegedly without prior intimation to the state government, were stationed in Kolkata and in Siliguri in North Bengal.

They had flagged alleged instances of non-cooperation by the state government in providing logistical support and relevant information during field visits.

According to PTI, Chandra said in the letter that a discrepancy was found in the number of COVID cases reported by the state in its medical bulletins and its communications with the Government of India.

The bulletin of April 30 showed active COVID cases as 572, discharged after treatment - 139 and expired due to Covid-19 - 33, making a total of 744. In a communication to union health secretary on the same day, total number of cases was indicated to be 931 leading to a discrepancy of 187 cases, the letter said.

Chandra said despite his insistence on meeting officials of the Home, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, and Food and Civil Supplies that did not materialise.

“The IMCT could interact only with the principal secretary health through a video conference... There has been no response or interaction with any other department of the state government. In short, the state government has taken an antagonistic view to the IMCT and has not supported the IMCT in the performance of its duties,” he wrote.

He said it was in “absolute contrast” to the experience of central teams on similar assignment to other states.

The team, however, appreciated the state government for raising the number of tests from 400 a day till April 20 to 2,410 on May 2.

Chandra said he will submit his report to the Ministry of Home Affairs and hoped the state government will take the suggestions in the right spirit.

More containment zones in Kolkata

As the number of cases in West Bengal was on the rise, so were the number of containment zones. 

Anandabazar Patrika reported that there were 517 containment areas in the state, most of which were in the four red zones. 

The report said that 318 of these were in Kolkata, followed by 71 in North 24 Parganas. 

Reports said that the containment areas will be listen on the websites of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata police. 

The Telegraph quoted  state home secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay as saying,  “No activity is allowed in containment zones, except essential and emergency services. These areas are barricaded and all relaxations announced by the Centre as well as the state during the current phase of the lockdown would not be applicable to containment zones.” 

State announces some relaxations 

The West Bengal government has said that private buses can operate with a maximum of 20 passengers each. 

It has also said that stand alone shops can open in all zones, except for those inside containment areas. They will be allowed to stay open between 10 am and 6 pm. 

“Neighbourhood shops, sweetmeat shops, those selling beetle leaves and tea can open but people will have to carry the tea back home for consumption,” he said.

Chief secretary Sinha also announced that private offices outside containment zones can operate between 10 am to 6 pm with 25% staff. 

He, however, said the state government does not encourage reopening of private offices in the present scenario if the work can be done from home.

Announcing relaxations in various zones across the state, Sinha said though the Centre has extended the lockdown by two more weeks till May 17, it has given liberty to state governments to allow certain activities by assessing the ground situation.

“We are of the opinion that these relaxations announced by the Union government will dilute the lockdown, but we would abide by it... We want a balance between life and livelihood,” Sinha was quoted by PTI as saying.

“The state government feels activities which the central government has asked to recommence will be beneficial for the economy and wages can be paid to workers and employees, but the way the relaxations are being given it is diluting the lockdown,” he said.

Sinha said shops which are not situated within malls or market complexes will be considered as standalone and they will be allowed to open from 10 am to 6 pm.

The top state bureaucrat urged private bus operators with inter-district permits to apply for appropriate route permits.

Sinha also said mining activities will resume in the green and orange zones.

“Construction activities in rural areas will start, while in urban areas, ‘in situ’ construction work will be allowed where the workers are put up at the site, but for this prior permission of district magistrates and that of Kolkata Municipal Commissioner in the metropolis will be required,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)