Two women from Siliguri who had tested positive for Covid-19 died today.

A 57-year-old resident of Naxalabari died in the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH), along with another 78-year-old resident of Phansidewa, sources said.

Meanwhile, 88 cases have been reported from Darjeeling district in the last 24 hours, and 28 in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area, sources said. Eighteen cases have been detected in the corporation area falling in Darjeeling district.

Twenty-seven cases have also been found in Matigara, 18 in Naxalbari, six in Kharibari and one in Phansidewa
blocks.

The district also reported nine cases in the Darjeeling Municipality, four in Sukna, three in Sukhia Pokhari, one in Pulbazaar and one in Takdah, the sources said.

South Dinajpur lockdown relaxation

The district administration in South Dinajpur has
decided that markets and other business establishments in containment zones will remain open till 4 pm from 28 August. The markets are presently open from 8 am to 2 pm, in the administration’s bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

As officials and the business community had been saying that the Covid-19 situation had been improving in the Balurghat Municipality area, a containment zone, the latter had suggested that the administration ease the restrictions and allow the markets to remain open till 8 pm.

However, a meeting of the Covid task force held at the District Magistrate’s office today took the decision to extend the market opening hours by only two hours. Business persons in Balurghat have welcomed the decision.

The total number of Covid cases in the Balurghat Municipality stands at 580 so far.

“As per a Covid task force report, the rate of infection has gone down due to strict measures taken in containment zones and restrictions on free movement of people,” sources said. “We are happy that the district administration talked with us and paid attention to our concerns. The situation in Balurghat municipality is still not good. So we welcome the decision to extend the timing by two hours and to make the use of masks mandatory for shopkeepers and customers both,” the secretary of the Business Association, Hareram Saha, said.

“The district Covid taskforce has decided to extend the timing for the market and business organizations to open till 4 pm from 28 August,” DM Nikhil Nirmal said.

35 new cases in Malda

In Malda, only 35 new cases were reported among the 376 samples tested last night at the VRDL in the Malda Medical College and Hospital.
While there were cases in the English Bazaar Municipality areas, five each were reported from Ratua I and II and four cases in Harishchandrapur.
“A total of 420 Covid-19 cases have been detected in the past seven days in the district, with an average of 60 cases per day,” a health department source said.

CoronaOven UV Disinfection machines

Action Covid-19 Team (ACT), a Bangalore-based startup, has provided CoronaOven UV Disinfection machines to be used in north Bengal. CoronaOven uses UVC light technology and disinfects any surface and object, including mask, PPE kit, tools, grocery, mobile phones, wallet etc.

“Installation of the CoronaOven machines will ensure
that our frontline warriors are better protected, and it also will make it convenient and safe to reuse essential medical kits and equipment,” Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said. According to him, he had reached out to the group, seeking support for this region.

“Led by our Darjeeling District President Shri Manoj Shankar ji, our team of BJP karyakartas, volunteers and Alliance Party workers has successfully delivered the UV disinfection machines at district hospitals of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri, Triveni Covid Hospital and NBMCH,”
Mr Bista added.