Kolkata: West Bengal reported its second coronavirus case on Friday after a youth who returned from London tested positive.
The patient’s travel history revealed that after landing at Delhi’s IGI Airport on March 13, he took a connecting flight to Kolkata. Two other youths from Punjab and Chhattisgarh had also travelled with him from London and returned to their respective homes, while the Bengal youth headed to his South Kolkata home.
Reports suggest that while no symptoms of the infection were detected during various airport screenings, officials at the Kolkata airport advised him to be home quarantined due to his UK travel.
Soon after, he started developing virus-related symptoms and complained of throat pain and breathing problems. He was rushed to the Infectious Diseases and Beliaghata General Hospital in Kolkata and kept in isolation. Tests conducted last night confirmed that he was indeed suffering from the virus. His family members and household workers were also kept in isolation.
The youths from Punjab and Chhattisgarh were tracked immediately, informed about the situation and were told to get themselves admitted in hospitals of their respective states.
Bengal Home Secretary, His Staff Quarantined After 1st COVID Case in State
The diagnosis came days after West Bengal reported its first virus case after a student, who had also returned from the United Kingdom, tested positive for COVID-19. The man, along with his family members and household workers, has been kept in isolation at a quarantine facility in a state hospital in Rajarhat after he was diagnosed on March 17.
According to reports, the man was advised to get himself admitted at the hospital but he ignored the warnings, went home and came in direct contact with his parents, driver, servants and neighbours.
The mother of the student, who is a joint secretary rank officer, has reportedly ‘panicked’ and met West Bengal Home Secretary, Alapan Bandyopadhyay and others at the state office ‘Nabanna,’ sending ripples across the state administration body.
“During her entire movement from the main gate to the 13th floor — she came in contact with more than 10 people. This include the policemen at the main gate and corridor, the liftman, other officers present inside the lift, policemen in front of Alapan Bandyopadhyay’s chamber and a pantry staff who served tea to the patient’s mother,” a source from the state secretariat said.
The Home Secretary, his wife Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee and at least 10 other staff workers were sent on home quarantine after health officials declared the student had tested positive. Following the incident, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed dismay over the actions of his parents.
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