1. North Bengal’s First COVID-19 Patient Dies
The first COVID-19 patient of north Bengal died in the wee hours of Monday, taking the death toll from the disease in the state to two.
The 44-year-old woman from Kalimpong breathed her last at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri. “Her condition was critical and she was put on ventilator. Despite all efforts by doctors and paramedics, she died around 2 am today,” NBMCH superintendent Kaushik Samajdar said.
The woman, who had gone to Chennai for her daughter’s treatment and returned by a Bagdogra flight on 19 March, was having cough and cold. She had consulted a doctor in Kalimpong and was admitted to the NBMCH on 26 March with acute respiratory problems.
(Source: The Telegraph)
2. Mamata Rules Out Relaxation In Lockdown
Mamata Banerjee on Monday clarified that — contrary to indications in some of her statements last week — no major relaxation would be extended in Bengal during the 21-day lockdown and underscored how “sensitive” the next two weeks would be in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Centre has announced the 21-day lockdown under a central Act, which we have to follow. Besides, the next two weeks are sensitive in terms of battling the novel coronavirus outbreak. We will review the situation on 13 April and would try to give some relaxation for 14 April, the Bengali New Year,” the Bengal chief minister said at Nabanna, the state secretariat.
Mamata clarified that no substantial relaxation could be given right away. The chief minister had said last week that she would review the situation and would try to give some relaxation from 1 April.
(Source: The Telegraph)
3. Building Fire Leads To Breaking Of Lockdown In South Kolkata
Residents of an upscale highrise in Bhowanipore had to break the lockdown restrictions and rush out of their homes on Monday morning after a fire broke out on a16th floor flat of the G+20 tower. One flat was completely gutted while another was partially damaged after a gas cylinder went off due to the intensive heat. Around 10 tenders were pressed into service to bring the fire under control. None was reportedly injured or trapped inside the building.
The fire, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit at South City Galaxy on Justice Chandra Madhab Road off Ashutosh Mukherjee Avenue in Bhowanipore, was noticed around 10am. The flat (16A), where the fire broke out, belongs to the businessman Anirduddh Modi, who deals in real estate and tea. Modi, his wife and two children raised an alarm and alerted the building’s security guards. Other residents of the building were alerted about the fire through intercom.
(Source: The Times Of India)
4. Docs Fret Over 3 Patients Without Travel History
Health experts are concerned about the fact that the three COVID-19 cases reported from Kolkata and the suburbs on Sunday had neither travelled abroad in the recent past nor had come into contact with people who have tested positive till now.
After the three tested positive, the administration made efforts to sanitize their homes and places of work, but panic continues to prevail among family and friends. In fact, the positive report for the Hooghly resident has sent panic waves sweeping across localities in Durgapur, Bankura and Mathurapur in South 24 Parganas. Between 13 March and 14 March, the 59-year-old resident of Gangulybagan in Sheoraphuli had travelled to Durgapur and Barjora in Bankura, stayed at a hotel and returned home by the Black Diamond Express.
(Source: The Times Of India)
5. City Man Stuck In Peru With One Meal A Day
When Piyush Padgil, 33, embarked on his dream trip to Peru, little did he know that it would turn into his worst nightmare. A young professional from Ballygunge, Padgil had decided to take a trip to Machu Picchu last month. Now, he finds himself stranded in the South American country that is under curfew, with 39 other Indians. The group is currently surviving on one free meal per day.
When Padgil’s trip started on 28 February, the COVID-19 threat had spread from China to South Korea. But it was still a long way from India and it didn’t really bother him. Then the disease spread to Iran and Italy, but South America was largely untouched and there were no travel bans. So he got visas to Chile and Peru and started out as planned. Padgil arrived in Chile via Madrid early in March and visited the Atacama Desert, not knowing that the situation was fast changing.
(Source: The Times Of India)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)