Saibal Gupta
Kolkata, Apr 22 (IANS): With the daily number of Covid-19 cases crossing the 10,000 mark in West Bengal and cumulatively the state recording active Covid cases around 63,000, Kolkata and three districts adjoining the state capital contribute more than 50 per cent of the total active Covid count in the state. The alarming rate of increase of the disease in and around Kolkata has become a major concern for the police and administration.
From a layman's parlance presently, as per state health department data on April 21, there are 63,496 active cases in the state of which Kolkata North and South 24 Parganas and Howrah districts cumulatively registered 37,578 cases which is 59.1 per cent of the total number of cases. Interestingly, Kolkata with 16,854 cases recorded the highest number of cases followed by North 24 Parganas district that recorded 13,350 cases. South 24 Parganas and Howrah recorded 3,770 and 3,604 cases respectively.
So far as daily number of cases is concerned, the state recorded 10,784 cases on Wednesday with Kolkata recording the highest number of cases of 2,568. North 24 Parganas district recorded 2,149 cases, South 24 Parganas district recorded 646 cases and Howrah recorded 626 cases. Cumulatively these four districts contributed 5,989 cases which is 55.5 per cent of the total daily cases in the state.
According to the state health department officials, the daily number is increasing in a rapid manner and according to them if proper measures are not taken to break the infection chain, then it will lead to a dangerous situation after the elections are over. The state doubled the figure of daily increase in just seven days. When on April 14 the daily infection count was 4,819, on April 21 it is 10,784 which is more than double.
"Even in the peak of infection during May/June last year the state took at least 15 to 18 days to double its daily count. Now the spread rate has become so fast that it is really alarming for the people of this state," a senior health department official said.
When asked why Kolkata and its surrounding districts have been worst affected, the official said, "Kolkata is the gateway of Eastern India and very naturally the footfall is higher than the other portions of the state. People from all over the country come to this city regularly increasing the possibility of the spread of the disease. Unless the government takes concrete steps like barring the people from coming here or mandatorily allowing people in the state who have vaccination or Covid-19 negative certificates, it is impossible to put a check on the spreading of the infection," the official added.
However, there are some districts in the state that hardly have any impact of the second wave of Covid-19. Alipurduar and Jhargram recorded only 12 cases on April 21 and Kalimpong recorded 14 cases on the same day.
"Kalimpong and Alipurduar are hilly areas and the density of the population is thin and so the chances of rise in this area is not possible. Jhargram district is a tribal area and here the forest area is much more than the residential area. Naturally this huge open space is helping the district to keep the infection at bay," the official added.