Two more persons have died due to Covid-19 and 23 new positive cases have been detected in the last 24 hours, said state chief secretary Rajiva Sinha (photo) today while laying down a thorough micro planning for containment of Coronavirus in the most affected areas of Howrah, Kolkata and North 24 Parganas.

Till now, there are 12 Covid- 19 deaths and total active cases have risen to 178. Seven patients were discharged from hospital since yesterday, said Sinha after holding a video conference with principals of all medical colleges, CMOHs and health officials.

Ruling out complaints of inadequate testing facilities in Bengal, Sinha said testing alone is not enough unless it is backed by proper segregation and isolation. “The state government is fully prepared with the containment plan. Whenever we detect a positive case, the necessary protocols are brought into effect immediately,” he said at a Press Conference in Nabanna.

He said so far 4,630 samples have been tested for Covid-19 with over 400 samples being tested today. The testing facility at Malda with a capacity of conducting 50 tests per day will start operation from tomorrow. More tests can be done once the state government gets permission to start testing facilities at RG Kar Medical College, Murshidabad, Bankura and Burdwan, he added.

Sinha said the state has adequate infrastructure to provide necessary treatment. There are 1,500 ventilators of which 10 were used and 7,969 beds are available in 66 Covid Hospitals of which 178 beds are currently occupied.

Striking a balance between life and livelihood, physical barriers have been put up along with ensuring that food and essential commodities are made available to people through home delivery system, he said adding that thermal screening is also being done.

Teams comprising civil administration, health officials and police have been deployed in the affected places and in Kolkata, senior KMC officials would closely monitor the areas such that social distancing is maintained. Ten per cent of the people identified and tested in Kolkata and the two affected districts have been detected positive which is close to the national average, said Sinha.

Giving a detailed account, Mr Sinha said in Howrah, 580 people were identified and tested of which 62 were detected positive. In East Midnapore, which has come out of the Corona red zone, 18 out of 300 people were detected positive but the district will remain under observation for 14 days.