According to officials, he was initially admitted to the Barrackpore Military Hospital after testing positive. (Figurative)
A 50-year-old Indian Army brigadier was among the 16 people who died of Covid-19 in the state on Thursday. With these deaths, the number increased to 699, even as the case count increased by more than 600 for the fourth consecutive day.
Brigadier Vikas Samyal, who is the highest-ranking defense officer to date to have succumbed to the virus, was posted at the Eastern Command headquarters here. According to officials, he was initially admitted to the Barrackpore Military Hospital after testing positive.
Later, he was transferred to the Command Hospital as his condition deteriorated. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, who recovered after contracting the virus.
In a statement, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the government expressed “deep condolences” over Brigadier Samyal’s “premature death”.
Most deaths and infections to date have been reported from the city, which has most of the containment areas, and the neighboring districts of North 24 Parganas and Howrah. Of the last 649 new infections that brought the total case count to 19,819, 436 were detected in these three districts, while 58 more were found in South 24 Parganas, the other district adjacent to the capital city. Fourteen of the latest deaths occurred in these four districts, while the other two were reported from Hooghly.
The administrative response to the pandemic has been repeatedly criticized by the Opposition, and last month the Supreme Court rebuked the state government. Although the state’s active workload was declining in the middle of last month, it started to rise again in June last week, even as the recovery rate stalled after a massive increase the week before. On Thursday, the active case count crossed 6,000 for the first time, settling at 6,083. Two weeks ago, on June 18, it was 5,216 and on a downward curve.
On Thursday, people in the Kolkata Ultadanga police station area blocked a road, accusing authorities of not helping with the cremation of a 48-year-old candy store owner who developed respiratory problems the previous night and died later. to suffer cardiac arrest.
According to this family, the health department and the police did not help them when they sought their help to incinerate the body on Wednesday night, as the results of their Covid-19 test were expected. Cremation was delayed even after the test results were received on Thursday morning, forcing local people to take to the streets around 1 p.m. Police and the corporation intervened, helping the family to incinerate the body. The victim’s store was disinfected at night.
According to the health department bulletin, in which the figures are updated until 9 am, 10,405 tests were carried out in 24 hours, bringing the accumulated number of samples analyzed to 5.08,001. The test positivity rate increased from 3.85% the day before to 3.9%.
Meanwhile, the Interior Department said the government’s “safe home” policy was unique and innovative. Currently, 345 people are in 106 of those shelters.
“GoWB has introduced an innovative, pioneering and unique concept of safe homes to meet the needs of mild symptomatic/asymptomatic patients who are allowed, according to ICMR guidelines, to remain in isolation at home. but they do not have space or care facilities in the homes. Safe Homes are isolation facilities with adequate boarding and accommodation arrangements in a sanitized environment where regular health monitoring is provided. Safe Houses are mapped with dedicated COVID hospitals where patients can be transferred in an emergency. The state has created 106 safe houses with 6,908 beds. The facilities are free. This also helps make more beds available in COVID hospitals to care for COVID patients with moderate and severe symptoms, “the department added.
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