Speaking to mediapersons here, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee listed district-wise figures and said that 55 cases were linked to seven families.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that there were 61 active COVID-19 cases in the state as of Monday noon. She also said that death toll by coronavirus in the state stood at three and 13 people had been discharged from hospitals following their recovery.
Speaking to mediapersons here, the Chief Minister listed district-wise figures and said that 55 cases were linked to seven families. “Out of the 61 cases from across the state, 55 cases are from seven families… One family in Kalimpong has 11 cases, including one death. Five family members of an Army doctor, who tested positive earlier, have been infected. Egra in East Midnapur district recorded 12 COVID-19 positive cases, while Tehatta in Nadia district has five cases. Howrah district has eight cases and Kolkata has 12 cases. Haldia in East Midnapore has two cases,” she said.
With 61 active cases, three deaths and 13 recoveries, the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state stood at 77. However, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare kept the Bengal tally of confirmed cases at 80 — including 10 recoveries and three deaths— till 11 pm on Monday.
The CM’s detailed list of coronavirus cases came a day after she constituted a five-member expert committee, which, “will determine whether deaths are related to coronavirus or not”. The government, which has released health bulleting only twice past one week, has been facing the accusation that it has not been “transparent” with the coronavirus cases in the state.
The CM, meanwhile, also announced to set up an advisory board under Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee to combat the economic slowdown brought about by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“We have set up a Global Advisory Board for COVID-19 response policy in West Bengal,” Banerjee said at a press conference at the state secretariat Nabanna. “It is a policy decision body which will help the Chief Minister. Abhijit Banerjee will be one of the committee members. The committee will also have Swarup Sarkar, former regional director of WHO, as one of its members,” she said, adding that she would speak to the noted economist over the phone later in the day.
The state is struggling financially as revenues have dried up because of the pandemic, which has imposed additional expenditure burden on the administration. The government has sought Rs 25,000 crore from the Centre.
“Due to the lockdown, there is no revenue,” said Banerjee. “We don’t know how long we have to stay like this. We have to plan for the future. The board will help us combat the present situation and will also help us combat the economic slowdown.”
She also took a dig at the Centre for not sending enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and N95 masks. Banerjee said her government had ordered around 11 lakh PPEs from various manufactures and agencies.
“We have only received 10,000 N95 masks and only 3,000 PPEs from the Centre,” said the Chief Minister. “This is nothing compared to the gravity of the present situation. Therefore we have made orders for PPEs, masks and sanitisers from agencies and manufacturers. Due to huge demand, the supply of such materials is slow. But we are getting them on our own and without anyone’s help and support.”
Banerjee also hit out at the BJP’s IT cell, accusing it of spreading fake news about the state’s health department.
Though she did not name the saffron party or any of its leaders, her comments came after IT cell chief Amit Malviya alleged that the state government was hiding data about suppressing COVID-19 data.
“A political party’s IT cell is using fake news to malign West Bengal’s health department,” she added. “Our doctors and health staff are doing their best to fight the disease. This is not the time for petty politics. We never pointed out the lacunas of the central government in dealing with the crisis.