The Covid-19 positivity rates in Kolkata and the adjoining districts of North 24 Parganas and Nadia were the highest in West Bengal, followed by Howrah and Hooghly. All these districts, with positivity rates of over 30%, had gone to the polls in the last leg of the assembly elections.
In North 24 Paraganas, the positivity rate crossed 41.6%, the highest in the state. In Kolkata, it was 38.3 %, Nadia 35.4%, Jalpaiguri 33.5 %, Darjeeling 31.8 %, according to data by the Ministry of Health & Family Affairs.
Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and parts of Nadia went to the polls in the fifth phase on April 17. North 24 Paraganas had gone to polls in sixth phase along with certain some constituencies of Nadia on April 22. Kolkata went to the polls in phases 7 and 8 on April 26 and 29.
Ajay Chakraborty, Director of Health Services, Department of Health & Family Welfare (West Bengal), told ET, “The positivity rate is very high in urban areas in and around Kolkata. The disease spreads in close contact, which is more likely in urban areas. Many people travel travel to the adjoining districts which may have led to these areas witnessing higher positivity rates.”
Kolkata deputy Mayor Atin Ghosh told ET: “With focus on sanitisation, we have noticed a decline of 10-15% in cases. We are aiming at bringing down the new cases by 50% soon.”
Kolkata and North 24 Parganas have the highest number of active cases and deaths. On May 21, out of the total 19,847 new cases in Bengal, 3,560 were reported in Kolkata and 4240 in North 24 Parganas. At 27,498, the total active cases are the highest in North 24 Parganas. Kolkata had 25, 331 cases on May 21.
The case positivity of Bengal was 10.45% as on May 21. There are 593 Covid-19 hospitals, including the private ones, in the state with 37,446 covid-19 beds.
Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/kolkata-adjoining-districts-report-30-positivity-rates/articleshow/82865182.cms
