West Bengal records zero Covid death for 8 straight days – Times of India

KOLKATA: Bengal has been clocking zero Covid death consistently for the last eight days while the number of positive patients admitted in hospitals across the state has dropped below 70 for the past five days. Health experts said while this allows for a breather, the state must continue its vigilance.
The state recorded no Covid death for the first time in a year on March 2. Although there has been no death on a day on and off after March 2, this time it has been a record-breaking eight days at a stretch.

“Covid-19 is under control. But we must keep close surveillance at least till July-end by tracking the infected and conducting genome sequencing so we are not caught unawares by new variants of the virus,” said the IPGMER hepatology head who is part of Bengal’s Global Advisory Board (GAB) on Covid-19.
The third wave had a quick surge and an equally speedy decline. Covid claimed 855 lives in the state in January when the third wave peaked. The death toll climbed down to 557 in February. With a massive drop in cases, March has seen only 21 deaths till Wednesday.
“It is a good sign that we have not reported any death for so many days at a stretch. Keeping this scenario sustained is of importance. But it is a matter of concern that people have become reluctant to follow Covid discipline. And this laxity could prove costly in the face of a possible fourth wave around the end of June or beginning of July,” said senior physician Sukumar Muherjee, member, Bengal’s GAB on Covid-19.
Public health specialist Anirban Dalui felt we could be nearing the endemic stage and cautioned against unnecessary panic.
“Mask-wearing and distancing should be continued as best as possible. Any new outbreak or upsurge in any geographical area should be identified at the earliest. Policy makers and public health experts should be ready with all measures to check the spread,” said Dalui, who is attached with Swasthya Bhawan.
Most hospitals in Kolkata currently have no Covid patient under their treatment.
“We have not got any positive patient in the past 25 days. We also haven’t got any positive samples in our lab in recent times. We have no positive cases either in the ward or the lab at present,” said Sudipta Mitra, CEO, Peerless Hospital.