At least two more migrant workers who returned to Malda recently may have tested positive for Covid-19, sources said today. It is learnt that the two men were under quarantine in centres in Ratua and English Bazaar blocks. However, district health officials did not confirm the new cases.

The authorities have also not confirmed the first positive case that was found in the district yesterday in a man who had returned to Manikchak from North 24 Parganas on 22 April.

“The number may increase as these findings were based on two pull tests where the samples of five persons are tested with the help of one testing kit. The samples of 10 more persons have been collected and sent for tests in the Malda Medical College and Hospital,” sources said.

The first three cases in the district have led to more people staying indoors as the streets in the district saw fewer people on them today. Meanwhile, a family had recently come to Sukantapally under the English Bazaar police station from Kolkata and the locals today staged a protest and demanded that they be quarantined.

The police later took initiatives to send the family members to a quarantine centre. According to sources at the Malda Medical College and Hospital, 578 tests have been conducted so far.

Medical Superintendent and Vice Principal, Dr Amit Dawn, said, “Another 138 tests are being done and we are awaiting the reports.” Meanwhile, the Manikchak College quarantine center was sanitized by the administration after the migrant worker there was found positive yesterday.

The residence and the area of the affected person at Chouki Mirdadpur under the Manikchak police station were sealed by locals of other villages nearby today. The Kalindri river flows through the village that is connected with Gouripur and Natuntola villages in Araidanga gram panchayat of Ratua- II block by a bamboo bridge.

“The people of these two villages today blocked the bridge and are not allowing anyone coming in from the Chouki Mirdadpur side,” local sources said. The villagers said that they have learnt of the man from Chouki Mirdadpur testing Covid positive and that they would have no connection with that village for now.

Officials were, however, not available for comment on the matter. Manikchak Block Development Officer Surajit Pandit, on the other hand, said, “The quarantine centre at Manikchak College is sanitized every second day.”