Stressing that the Covid situation in Bengal has improved with a
decrease in the death rate, chief minister Mamata Banerjee today said that experts have predicted that existing situation would come under control by 20-25 September while asking district health officials not to include the Covid cases from neighbouring states in the state’s total case count.

“The Covid situation is better now and the overall death rate has decreased. The death rate registered in our state currently is much lower than that of last year’s. Hopefully, the pandemic situation will be settled by 20-25 September because this is what the experts are saying. I would start my district tours from next month if the situation becomes conducive,” said Miss Banerjee at the virtual administrative review meeting of five districts of East and West Burdwan, Birbhum, Purulia and Bankura at Nabanna Sabhaghar this afternoon.

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Miss Banerjee asked district health officials to see to it that the Covid patients from neighbouring states furnish details of their home state address instead of giving their local address.

“We want to provide treatment to all patients but if the patients are from other states then we should keep that in the record so that the number of out-state patients does not add up to the case
count of our state,” said Miss Banerjee.

A senior health official said that if Covid patients, who are admitted in hospitals, show no symptoms for three days then they should be shifted to home isolation.

This would not only decrease bed occupancy rate but also increase the recovery rate, she said.

The state health department will survey from next week so that patients with comorbidities can be identified and isolated immediately.

Enquiring about the high case count in East and West Burdwan and particularly the increase in cases among police personnel, Miss Banerjee said that some of the police personnel living in the Barracks
should be shifted to some other places to maintain the social distancing norms.

Addressing the meeting, Miss Banerjee expressed her annoyance at government schemes being stalled due to the pandemic in the
five districts and said that Covid has lowered the
state’s earnings and subsequently increased the expenditures.

“Can we stop all work in the pretext of a pandemic? Covid has decreased our earnings but increased our expenditures,” she said, directing to form teams to expedite the progress of government schemes like Bangla Sadak Yojana, Bangla Awas Yojana and MGNREGA and set a deadline of September for completing all pending work.

The work status under the Bangla Sadak Yojana for 202021 has been the worse wherein Bankura has constructed 36 km of road against the target of 150 km, Birbhum has constructed nine km against 75 km, Purulia 23 km against 150 km, East Burdwan 15 km against 95 km and West Burdwan six km against 35 km.

Miss Banerjee attributed the poor condition of small rural roads to the plying of heavy vehicles and asked police to look into the matter.
She asked all departments to immediately sort out the cases received at the CMO Grievance Cell.

The labour department has been directed to conduct surprise checks at the factories to inquire as to whether wages are being paid or social distancing norms being maintained.

She cautioned against floods and asked officials to pump out water from the waterlogged agricultural fields.

This apart, Miss Banerjee alerted officials against the outbreak of dengue and asked the departments of urban development and irrigation to clean their respective canals.

Further, Miss Banerjee directed officials to disburse the pending Amphan reconstruction aid immediately