Just a day after West Bengal reported its first Coronavirus case, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Wednesday expressed her doubts. "It is wrong to say that a case of coronavirus has been reported from Kolkata. It is the person who came from the United Kingdom. I do not know how he was checked at the international airport." After testing positive for Coronavirus, the man was admitted to Beleghata ID Hospital. Medical examinations revealed that the person had contracted novel coronavirus. His parents and driver have been kept in isolation.
Meanwhile, Banerjee announced that state government employees would be allowed to leave their offices an hour early from tomorrow to avoid crowding in public transport.
Earlier on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that the state government has invoked the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, in order to ensure strict quarantine of persons suspected of novel coronavirus infection. The decision was taken after a high-level review meeting at the state secretariat. The state government also announced the extension of its shutdown order for educational institutions from March 31 to April 15.
West Bengal government has also announced the creation of a separate fund of Rs 200 crore for fighting emerging public healthcare challenges due to coronavirus. The fund will be used to purchase protective gear used by the medical staff and upgrade the medical infrastructure to tackle the pandemic.
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