Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today urged people to treat the lockdown “humanely” if it is extended after 14 April as “Covid is a very big problem” even as she empathised with the difficulties faced by the daily wage earners and workers of unorganised sectors. Banerjee said that in the last 24 hours two new Covid positive cases were detected in Bengal taking the total number of active Covid cases to 71 till today.

Among this, 61 are from 11 families which indicate that proper social distancing was not maintained which led to the spreading of the disease, said Banerjee at a Press Conference in Nabanna. She said that controlling COVID was the state government’s first priority.

“We empathise the trouble that the daily wage earners and workers of unorganised sector are facing. But Covid is a very big problem. If the lockdown is extended we have to see it humanely. It has to be imposed strictly but not forcefully,” Banerjee said. She refused to comment on whether the 21-day lockdown should be extended or not.

“Having spoken to MP Sudip Bandopadhyay, who participated in the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today, and going through the tweets it appears that the lockdown may be extended. But I would not comment anything till any official announcement is made. The decision has to be taken by the Government of India. We have taken a ‘wait and watch’ policy,” she said.

According to Banerjee, some experts have suggested that a 49-day lockdown should be invoked thereby extending the existing lockdown till 19 May. “It’s true that a prolonged lockdown will create a lot of problem for people. We have to ensure that drug manufacturers address problems of medicine shortage if it arises,” she said adding that chief ministers of Punjab and Telangana called her yesterday requesting her to resume work for making jute bags.

It is a collective matter and the state cannot decide by itself, she said. Urging people not to panic over reported shortage of Hydroxychloroquine that is being used for treating Covid- 19, Banerjee assured that the state has adequate stock for treating the disease. She reiterated that Covid patients were responding well to treatment and three patients would be released from Beliaghata ID today and another two would be released tomorrow.

Eighty two new beds have been arranged at Beliaghata ID Hospital where 16 Covid patients are currently admitted and once the five patients are released the admission figure would dip to 11. This apart, the 30 doctors, five nurses and four technicians of NRS Medical College and Hospital have been detected negative which is a great relief for us, she added. Banerjee announced setting up three task forces for better handling of the present situation.

Firstly the ‘Restriction and Relaxation’ task force headed by the state chief secretary Rajiva Sinha will decide on the items that would be kept within or outside the purview of the restrictions. The second task force will decide on financial issues and will be headed by state finance secretary HK Dwivedi and the enforcement task force has been set up under state home secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay.

A team of senior doctors including Dr Dhali from SSKM and Dr Abhijit Chowdhury will visit North Bengal Medical College and Hospital tomorrow to take stock of the health services there. Dr Sukumar Mukherjee, who is a member of the health expert committee, said that the Covid situation in Bengal was better compared to other states and containment of the disease including regional quarantining should be done with utmost sincerity.