As West Bengal braces for a four-day shutdown beginning Monday afternoon, the number of COVID-19 infections in the State increased to seven.
Three more persons tested positive for the virus late on Sunday evening.
“These new cases are people who came in contact with a youth who returned from UK and tested positive. Two of them are male and one is female,” a senior official of the State’s Department told The Hindu.
All seven, including three who tested positive on Sunday, are being kept at isolation at Infectious Diseases and Beleghata General Hospital, the State’s referral hospital for infectious diseases. There are 52 people in isolation and samples have been collected from 128 people. About 22,000 passengers have been advised to stay under home isolation.
Using the provisions of the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 the West Bengal government has issued a notification for a lock down of municipal and rural areas, including Kolkata beginning 5 p.m. on Monday (March 23). The shutdown, which includes transport services, shops commercial establishment and offices, will continue till midnight of March 27. On Monday morning, markets and shopping complexes across the State saw a large number of people who came out to buy essentials.
