Over 600 Covid cases recorded in West Bengal for 3rd day in row – The Indian Express

West Bengal recorded more than 600 coronavirus cases on Wednesday as Kolkata and neighbouring North 24 Parganas continued to be areas of concern. (Express file photo by Partha Paul)

For a third consecutive day, West Bengal recorded more than 600 coronavirus cases on Wednesday as Kolkata and neighbouring North 24 Parganas continued to be areas of concern.

In the last 24 hours, the caseload jumped by 611 to 19,170, said the health bulletin of the state Health Department.

On Monday and Tuesday, the state had added 624 and 652 cases to its tally.

The death toll rose by 15 to 683 in the last 24 hours.

Of the 611 fresh cases, Kolkata recorded the highest increase (238) followed North 24 Parganas (153), Howrah (78), South 24 Parganas (41) and Maldah (30).

After logging over 400 discharges in the past few days, the state discharged 398 more patients Wednesday. With this, as many as 12,528 patients have so far been discharged — or 65 per cent of the total cases. This means that the state has 5,959 active cases.

A total of 9,558 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, taking the total to 4,97,596. The positivity rate (positive cases out of samples tested) is 3.85 per cent.

According to the Health Department, a total of 6,668 people are under government quarantine and another 59,658 people under home quarantine. As total of 17,728 migrant workers, who have returned from other states, are still in quarantine centres while another 377 migrant workers are under home isolation.

Meanwhile, 15 inmates of a prison in South 24 Parganas district have tested positive for Covid-19, officials said on Wednesday.

The infected inmates of the Baruipur Central Correctional Home are asymptomatic and have been admitted to an isolation ward of the prison hospital, an official of the Correctional Services Department said.

“They are being treated at the prison hospital. If needed, we will shift them to other hospitals as per the advice of the doctors,” he said.

Around 10 employees of the department posted in six correctional homes in the state had earlier tested positive for COVID-19 and they are being treated, the official said.

A senior official of the Baruipur prison had tested positive for the infection a couple of weeks back.

WITH PTI

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