Latest coronavirus update: One person in West Bengal tests positive, state on high alert

Latest coronavirus update: One person in West Bengal tests positive, state on high alert

Prema Rajaram Updated: Wednesday, March 18, 2020, 08:14 AM IST
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People walk past a cinema hall in Kolkata on Tuesday. One person tested positive in the city and many have been quarantined | PTI

One Kolkata resident tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) on Tuesday. The patient, an 18-year-old boy had returned from London on March 15 and has been isolated since he tested positive. Although he was scheduled to visit the hospital on March 16, he went missing for that day and there is no record of how many people he has been in contact with, not to mention the number of people he was in proximity with on the London to Kolkata flight. He finally got himself tested on March 17. Currently, his driver and parents have also been quarantined.

Currently, 12,244 passengers travelling from other parts of the world and arriving at Kolkata airport have been under observation while 12,226 passengers have been kept under home surveillance. 18 individuals have been isolated, while 70 samples have been collected. The samples were sent to National Institute of Virulogy(NIV) in Pune, ICMR-NICED, Kolkata and IPGMER, Kolkata.

74,978 travellers have been screened at Kolkata and Bagdogra airports, 2,80,362 passengers have been screened at seven land border check points along Nepal and Bangladesh while 3,989 crew members on ships have been checked for the coronavirus.

A 24X7 control room has been set up in Kolkata. Isolation facilities have been arranged for more than 15 Government hospitals across the State. Passengers who have arrived in Kolkata from coronavirus-affected countries have been asked to be under home isolation for 28 days.

In the past week, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced for strong precautionary measures across the State which includes shutting down of movie halls, auditoriums, public gatherings and sporting events till the March 31 and closure of schools and colleges till the April 15. In addition to this, the Tollygunge film industry decided to stop shooting of Bengali films, TV serials and web series till the March 30.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar has also written to Mamata asking her to apprise him of the situation after the announcement to set up a Rs.200 crore fund to tackle to corona virus outbreak.

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