Two Siliguri residents, who had tested positive for Covid-19, have died . A 75-year-old resident of Church Road under Ward-10 was taken to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) yesterday after he developed respiratory problems. He died after being admitted in the NBMCH yesterday, sources said.

Family members alleged that three private hospitals refused to admit him before he was taken to the NBMCH. “His body was kept at the NBMCH and swab tests conducted. The reports today confirmed he was infected with Covid-19,” sources said.

In another incident, a 55-year-old resident of Pradhannagar died in the hospital meant for Covid-19 treatment at Kawakhali here today.

Sources said he was shifted to the hospital from the isolation ward of the NBMCH yesterday. His test reports showed he was positive for Covid-19. It is learnt that the duo did not have travel history. With this, six Covid-positive persons have died in Darjeeling district so far. On the other hand, 13 Covid-19 positive cases were found in the SMC area today. Among those, three have been reported from Wards 28, and two from Ward 46.

28 new cases in Alipurduar: district Meanwhile, in Alipurduar, another 28 persons were tested positive for the virus, taking the number of cases in the district to 106.

More swab collection centres in Malda: In Malda, the English Bazaar Municipality (EBM) is set to have four new sample collection centres from next week in the health department’s bid to promptly detect Covid19 cases. The EBM and the health department have taken the initiative with an eye on the densely populated areas like Baluchar, Subhaspally, Mission Road and Buraburitala.

“These four places have an Urban Primary Health Centre each, which will be now transformed into sample collection centres for Covid tests,” officials said.

On the other hand, six new positive cases were found in the English Bazaar area and one in the rural area last night. The tests were conducted in the VRDL in the Malda Medical College and Hospital.

According to sources, the four collection centres will be functional from next Monday, while each one can collect 150 samples a day. “Residents of the municipality can have a Covid test done here absolutely free of cost,” health department sources said. The head of the administrative board of the EBM, Nihar Ranjan Ghosh, said, “With an initiative from the state government and the health department, the four UPHCs of the EBM area will be sample collection centres by next Monday. In future, all the 29 wards of the Municipality will have such facilities.”

On the other hand, the seven new Covid-19 cases took the number of affected persons to 334. Among these, six were found in the EBM area, including a policewoman of Green Park and the son of a railway employee of Jhaljhalia.

Sources at the district health department said that these six had come in contact with another Covid-positive person. Locals have already put up a bamboo barricade in front of the houses of the affected, even as panic spread in these areas. The other parts of the town, however, remained crowded like in normal days, while they also saw huge traffic jams, it is learnt