Five persons who had tested positive for Covid-19 died in Siliguri today.

Three persons, a 75-year-old resident of Bharatnagar in Ward 24, a 70-year-old resident of Saktigarh in Ward 31 and a 74-year-old resident of Kurseong died at the hospital for Covid-19 patients at Matigara here today, sources said.

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A 70-year-old Fulbari resident also died in a private nursing home. A 32-year-old person from Jaigaon in Alipurduar district died in another dedicated hospital for Covid-19 patients at Kawakhali.

Two persons who died yesterday–a resident of Islampur in North Dinajpur and a woman from Phansidewa near Siliguri–who were undergoing treatment after being tested positive for Covid-19 earlier in the Desun Hospital and the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital were later tested negative, sources said.

A total of 79 new cases were detected in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area in the past 24 hours.

Patients face treatment problems

Meanwhile, people have said they are facing problems, especially in conducting Covid tests in private laboratories.

A resident of Ward 17, who has tested positive for the virus and is in home isolation since 1 August, alleged that the health department only inquired about his health condition after three days had gone by.

The person was tested positive on 1 August, following confirmatory reports from a private laboratory. According to him, neither the health department nor the civic body called him in those days. The person himself contacted health officials of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation on 3 August and sent them the test reports through WhatsApp, it is learnt.

“As I am asymptomatic, I have isolated myself at home. As no one called me till yesterday, I was thinking what if my condition deteriorates. Such lack of coordination is very unfortunate. I received a call only this evening from the office of the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Health-II, inquiring about my health, and they said they will now keep monitoring me,” he said.

Admitting such lack of coordination, a senior health official said that such a situation came up as the private laboratory concerned did not inform them of the matter.

Former Siliguri MLA tests positive

Meanwhile, former Siliguri MLA and patient welfare committee chairman of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Siliguri District Hospital and North Bengal Dental College and Hospital, Dr Rudra Nath Bhattacharya, has tested positive for Covid-19.

He is undergoing treatment in a private nursing home. Nursing home sources said that though he had comorbidities, his condition was stable.

54 cases in Malda

In Malda, 35 new cases of Covid-19 were detected last night in the VRDL in the Malda Medical College and Hospital, while another 16 cases were found through rapid antigen tests conducted on 195 samples.

Among the 35 cases, nine were from the English Bazaar Municipality, while 16 of the rapid-test cases were also from there, sources said. On the other hand, English Bazaar block had 14 and Habibpur seven new cases.