A pregnant woman from Kalimpong admitted in the isolation ward of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) died within hours of her admission last night.

However, sources said that she has been tested negative for Covid-19. On the other hand, Malda recorded its third official novel coronavirus case last night in a man at the quarantine centre at Manikchak College. At the NBMCH, doctors said the woman was a patient of eclampsia (convulsions caused by sudden increase in blood pressure and oedema).

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“She was a patient of eclampsia and was admitted in the isolation ward and died within few hours of her admission last night. The throat swabs were collected for tests and reports for Covid-19 were negative. The body has been handed over to the family members,” an NBMCH source said.

Three more pregnant women are admitted in the isolation ward, officials said. In Malda, sources said that the migrant worker had returned from Barasat with another such worker who was earlier tested positive and had been put up in the same quarantine centre in Manikchak.

The village where these two labourers hail from, Naridiara-Natuntola, has been sealed and declared a containment zone. The affected is now under treatment at the GEC Hospital marked as a Covid-19 hospital for Malda at Narayanpur under the Malda police station. Sources, however, said that though the man tested positive, he has no symptoms. It is further learnt that the man’s family members and others at the quarantine have all tested negative for Covid-19.

SMC speculations: Speculations have swirled on whether Siliguri Mayor Asok Bhattacharya will lead the board of administrators or an administrator will be appointed as the tenure of the present Left-run board will expire on 17 May. The speculation is gaining ground after the state government on Wednesday appointed Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim as the chairperson of the board of administrators to run the Kolkata Municipal Corporation as the elected board completed its term today. Mr Bhattacharya said the government has so far not come clear on the issue.