Contrary to the national trend, the number of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal is increasing. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday warned the Mamata Banerjee-led administration and asked it to take immediate action to restrict the rise in cases.

Taking to Twitter, the Governor highlighted the coronavirus numbers presented in the daily bulletin published by the West Bengal government’s Department of Health and Family Affairs on Thursday.

He wrote, “Appeal all to 100% enforce Pandemic Covid restrictions to contain and combat it. October 22. Covid Deaths: 64. Total: 6,308. Covid +ve: 4167. Total: 3,37,283. Utmost vigilace @MamataOfficial called for as Bengal’s current Covid rise is at odds with slowdown seen in the Country.”

Appeal all to 100% enforce Pandemic Covid restrictions to contain and combat it.

October 22
Covid Deaths: 64
Total: 6,308
Covid +ve: 4167
Total: 3,37,283

Utmost vigilace @MamataOfficial called for as Bengal’s current Covid rise is at odds with slowdown seen in the Country.

— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) October 23, 2020

The sudden spike in coronavirus cases has been a major concern for the West Bengal administration, especially with the Durga Puja festival going on in the state.

Even through Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had shown interest in ensuring that the festival was held in an usual manner, the Calcutta High Court gave an order against her wish.

Declaring all the pandals as ‘no-entry zones’, the High Court bench of Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Arijit Banerjee, earlier this week, ordered that 60 members in big-ticket Durga Pujas and 30 in smaller ones be allowed inside the pandals. The Puja Committees were instructed to prepare a list of people who would be allowed.

Thr HC directed puja committees that all pandals will have to erect barricades at the entrance of the pandals and the distance is five meters for small pandals and 10 meters for big pandals.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus curve in West Bengal is yet to flatten whatsoever with the state witnessing new records of daily cases everyday for the last one week or so.

West Bengal on Thursday witnessed the biggest single-day spike of 4,157 COVID-19 cases, taking to the total number of cases to 3,37,283. The number of active cases are also on the rise with 36,064 coronavirus patients currently undergoing treatment, an increase from Wednesday’s 35,578. To add salt to the injury, discharge rate has also dropped to 87.44%.

A total of 64 deaths were reported on Thursday. Kolkata recorded 16 deaths, while North 24 Parganas and Howrah witnessed 18 and six deaths respectively. The state has so far seen 6,308 coronavirus-related deaths.

The sudden spike in COVID-19 cases can be linked directly to the low testing in West Bengal. After a steady increase in the number of daily testing – both rapid antigen and RT-PCR tests – throughout the month of July, August and the first few weeks if September, the state has kept the bar of daily testing at around 42-43 thousands for the last 3-4 weeks.