In the past month, greater Behala, comprising Haridevpur, Parnasree and Thakurpukur, witnessed six deaths in June. The total number of infected climbed to 117, with most of them in east Behala.
Infections have continued to rise even as most of the city is back at work. This underlines the importance of following safe practices, both in public spaces and private. Stopping economic activity will prove counter-productive but we will have to accept that we are yet some distance away from pre-Covid social activity.
Behala had reported less than 40 cases in the first two months of lockdown. Pockets in Bhowanipore, Alipore, Kalighat and Khidderpore along with Bowbazar, Girish Park and Ultadanga in the south continue to see a spurt in cases. The Egiye Bangla website says there are 63 cases in Bhowanipore, 48 in Kalighat and around 40 in Ultadanga. According to KMC, boroughs 8 and 9 are the worst hit. Also, there are a significant number of active cases in boroughs 3, 4, 10 and 12.
Covid situation is worsening in large areas of south Kolkata, which had relatively remained in safer zones. For example, vast stretches of Bhowanipore, Harish Mukherjee Road, Sarat Bose Road, Ballygunge have been worst affected in the past two weeks. Bijoygarh, an area located in between Tollygunge and Jadavpur, has also seen a sudden spurt recently.
However, the civic health department is more worried with numerous positive cases being reported from apartment buildings and high-rises from Bhowanipore-Sarat Bose Road and Karaya-Ballygunge belt.
“We are tackling an alarming situation in Bhowanipore-Sarat Bose Road belt. Here, positive cases are registering by leaps and bounds. The Covid condition in Karaya-Ballygunge belt has been similar. At a time, when we were relieved to witness no fresh cases in large areas of Tiljala, Topsia Beniapukur areas, the spurt in cases in Karaya-Ballygunge has thrown a new challenge before us,” said a KMC health department official.
In the north, the deadly virus has returned to haunt large stretches of Bowbazar, College Street and its neighbouring areas.
According to a KMC health department source, the civic body was worried to witness four fresh cases in Durga Pituri lane alone in the past fortnight.
The virus scare was so prominent among a section of Bijoygarh residents that they compelled traders of Bijorgarh Bazar to down their shutters for three days (till Wednesday) after a couple of the traders tested positive.
The drop in containment zones, claim KMC and police, is not at loggerheads with the rise of cases in the city.
There were 1,546 cases reported in the first fortnight of June and in the next 15 days there were 2,081 cases.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/covid-zones-below-1500-after-2-weeks/articleshow/76719187.cms
