Former Union minister and Trinamool Congress leader Babul Supriyo has tested positive for Covid-19 for the third time. In his latest tweet he said he was not so much worried about him testing positive but the sheer increase in number of individuals who are contracting the virus, and difficulty in tracing the source of infection.

Supriyo had tested positive for the first time in November 2020 and the second time in April 2021.

“Me, my wife, dad and several staff members have all tested positive,” he tweeted.

“Not really worried about the positive-ness (sic) but the sheer number of individuals who got contracted and no way to find out who gave it to whom. Very few are wearing masks,” he wrote on the microblogging site.

The former MP, who quit the BJP in July last year after he was asked to step down as Union minister, and later joined the Mamata Banerjee-led party, also expressed concern over the high price of the cocktail jab that needs to be given SOS to seriously ill Covid patients.

Infections spike in Bengal

West Bengal, which has been registering a steady rise in number of new Covid-19 cases, on Monday reported a marginal decline at 6,078 new cases, as against 6,153 on Sunday (January 2). The positivity rate was however higher at 19.59 per cent on Monday as compared with 15.93 per cent on Sunday.

The numbers have increased sharply as compared with only around 752 cases as on December 28, 2021.

The total cases in the State as on January 3 stood at 16, 55, 228. Kolkata accounted for nearly 2,801 of the 6,078 new cases while North 24 Parganas accounted for 1,057.

The state government had, on Sunday, announced additional restrictions to curb the increase in cases of Covid-19 across the State effective January 3. All academic activities in school, colleges and universities have been closed. All offices, including government and private sector, have been asked to function with 50 per cent of employees at a time.

The West Bengal government, which had recently restricted direct flights from United Kingdom, further said that it would allow flights from Mumbai and Delhi to land in the state only twice a week on Mondays and Fridays. This apart, swimming pools, spas, gyms, beauty parlours, saloons, wellness centres and all entertainment parks, zoos and tourist places have also been closed.

The restrictions would remain in force till January 15, said an official notification from the state government.

comment COMMENT NOW