Kalimpong district reported two new Covid-19 cases yesterday after a gap of two months. Also, two more persons, including a medical staff and an employee of Dr Chhang’s (Covid) hospital in Siliguri , were tested positive or the virus today, along with two residents of Wards 38 and 44 under the Siliguri Municipal Corporation.

Four health care service providers of the Covid hospital, including the medical superintendent, were tested positive yesterday. A 40-year-old resident of Ward 38 had a travel history of Bangaluru, while another 31-year-old man had returned from Rajasthan, sources said.

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Both the wards fall in Jalpaiguri district. Officials, however, did not confirm the four cases until late in the evening. In Kalimpong, officials said a 65-year-old woman from Upper Daragaon Samthar and another from Nimbong under Kalimpong- 1 block had tested positive for the virus.

The 70-year-old woman from Nimbong had travelled to Delhi and she returned on 22 May. She was in ‘home quarantine.’ “Both of them have been admitted in the dedicated hospital for Covid-19 patients in Siliguri. We have traced their contacts as per the standard protocol,” said an official.

A Kalimpong woman who had returned from Chennai was the first Covid-19 patient in the hill district and in the entire north Bengal. The 44- year-old woman died in the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) on 30 March.

Meanwhile, NBMCH authorities are worried over ensuring proper health services after four medical staff, including a PGT, house staff and a laboratory technician, tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday. Around 15 interns, junior doctors and some nursing staff have also been quarantined.

NBMCH authorities said health services will be hit to some extent, given the situation. Malda case tally 158:The total number of people affected by Covid-19 in Malda has climbed up to 158, with 10 new cases detected last night at the VRDL in the Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH).

According to sources, the fresh cases are from Ratua-II (three), Habibpur (two) and one each from Ratua-I, Gazole, Manikchak, Harishchandrapur and Old Malda blocks. Meanwhile, a 150-bed Covid Hospital is going to be operational soon for the treatment of patients showing symptoms.

All the cases found so far in the district are asymptomatic. This hospital will be set up in the Super Specialty wing, which is near the main building of the MMCH, sources said. Wards for pregnant women: The South Dinajpur health department has decided to set up new wards in government hospitals for pregnant women showing Covid- 19 symptoms.

Eight beds will be reserved for such pregnant women in every hospital. On the other hand, the chairperson of the Patient Welfare Committee of the Balurghat Hospital, Arpita Ghosh, assured more number of institutional quarantine facilities and beds for Covid patients. As of Tuesday, the number of Covid patients in the district is 38.

“We will hold discussions with the district administration about increasing the number of institutional quarantine centres, and if necessary, educational institutions will be used as such facilities. The district administration is ready to combat any situation,” Mrs Ghosh said.