On Sunday, Kolkata’s test-positivity rate reached 23.42 % as the city recorded 3,194 new Covid-19 cases. This is the highest in West Bengal and one of the highest in the country. 

Overall, the test-positivity rate of the state was 15.93 % with 38,633 samples being tested in the past 24 hours. The test-positivity rate in some of the adjoining districts of Kolkata included 4.65 % in North 24 Parganas, 4.58% in South 24 Parganas and 10.76% in Howrah. Paschim Bardhaman reported 257 new cases and Hooghly reported 280 new cases.

According to a bulletin, released by the health department 6,153 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, which is a six-fold jump in the last five days. 1,089 new cases were reported on Wednesday, which rose to 3,451 on Friday and 4,512 on Saturday, the sudden rise in cases comes amidst the emergence of the new Omicron variant of the virus that has led to the jump in the cases in the country and across the globe.

On Sunday, the bulletin, further reported that West Bengal’s Covid-19 total tally had reached 16,49,150 with 8 more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. Active cases stood at 17,038 with 116 admitted in hospitals, 15,770 were in home isolation and 152 were in safe homes.

The recovery rate, on Sunday, was 97.77% with 2,407 Covid-19 patients being discharged and making the total number of recoveries 16,12,331. 

As, a preventive measure, schools were closed for the academic session but the COVID-19 vaccination programs for the 15-18-year-olds would start from Monday in all medical colleges, 37 urban primary health care centres, 16 schools in Kolkata. Dr Ajay Chakraborty, Director of Health Services, West Bengal said that 338 hospitals and a total of 479 blocks and urban local bodies would be administering vaccines in one school per Block/ULB, from Monday. 

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has identified 11 areas in the city as ‘micro-containment zones’. The government said 23,947 Covid-19 beds were available in the state and 50% of these were oxygen beds. Directions were given to private hospitals in Kolkata to increase the number of beds and ramp up their infrastructure. Along with seven private hospitals in Kolkata, 194 government hospitals have been dedicated to the treatment of Covid-19 positive patients in the state. A senior official said that these hospitals were likely to be converted to general hospitals but the sudden rise in cases was hindering the process.

Source: The Indian Express