After a gap of 13 days from the last two Covid-19 positive cases, one after another positive cases began appearing from different parts of Burdwan (East), especially after arrival of the migrant labourers from other states.

The district has now lost its green zone status.

According to the district health administration sources, Burdwan (East) has recorded 16 positive Covid19 cases.

Two patients hailing from the district, however, had tested positive at their workplaces in Kolkata. Burdwan (West) – which incidentally had recorded first positive Covid-19 case, including two successive co-morbidity deaths from Asansol, retained the green zone status. Burdwan (East) too was pushed to orange zone after the first positive Covid-19 case.

The affected patient’s niece also tested positive.

After both recovered, only when the district was expecting to retrive its green zone status, a nursing staff residing at Subhaspally in Burdwan town tested positive on 4 May.

The district magistrate, Burdwan (East), Vijay Bharti, on 3 May incidentally had claimed that the district would become eligible for getting back the green zone tag further. One youth from Memari, one from Ratanpur in Ketugram, one youth hailing from Ukta village in Ausgram-I block and suffering from severe kidney ailments also tested Covid-19 positive and was shifted to the Beleghata ID Hospital on last Saturday.

The district accommodates 23 blocks and Covid19 had already marked its presence in blocks like Khandaghosh, Memari, Ausgram – I & II, Burdwan- I, Kalna – I, Purbasthali, Ketugram. Now, the blocks like Bhatar, Mongalkote and Monteswar also have gone panic struck after four new cases were detected. Today, the patients were shifted to Sanaka Covid Hospital in Durgapur.

Three of them were migrant labourers. Dr Pranab Roy, chief medical officer for Burdwan (East) said, “They had returned to the district from other states recently and were kept at quarantine centre for observation after their samples were collected for tests.”

He added: “Their positive reports came to us and they were immediately shifted.” On Saturday, 113 migrant labourers had returned to Burdwan in special train. Two labourers from Nutanhat in Mongalkote and Boroposla village in Bhatar had returned from Chennai and Delhi respectively. Two youths of Ausgram blocks were serving as labourers in Mumbai tested positive after they returned.