West Bengal reported its third fatality due to COVID-19 and four more positive cases on Monday as the state authorities made efforts to identify those who had attended a religious gathering in Delhi's Nizamuddin, the new epicentre of the deadly virus pandemic.
Among the four fresh cases, two persons from Kolkata did not have any travel history.
A total of 1,03,391 cases are under home isolation in various parts of the state as on Tuesday, while the total number of positive cases stands at 27.
The state government has started identifying those who had attended a religious gathering in Delhi's Nizamuddin earlier this month, after six of its attendees from Telangana died of COVID-19.
The third person to die of the disease in West Bengal is a 47-year-old woman, who had recently visited Dooars in North Bengal but had no history of foreign travel.
"The woman, a resident of Salkia in Howrah district, died in a hospital on late Monday night before test results came. Her test results confirmed that she was infected with the coronavirus," a health official said.
The health department has sent all the family members and those who came in touch with her to home quarantine. It also started an inquiry to find out whether or not any family member of the deceased had recently returned from abroad.
After the death of the woman, nurses and Group D staff of the hospital staged a demonstration, alleging that the woman was initially admitted to the general ward and they attended to her for nearly three hours without wearing personal protective gears.
Meanwhile, four new cases of coronavirus have been reported in the state - two from the city and two from districts of West Midnapore and North 24 Parganas.
Two men from the city -- one from Salt Lake and another from Tollygunge area -- tested positive for COVID-19, and are undergoing treatment at separate private hospitals here.
"They did not have any history of travelling abroad or to any other state. We are trying to find out whether or not any of their family members had gone overseas or to other states. Family members of the two will also be quarantined," he said.
Another man, in his early 30s, who had recently returned from Maharashtra, was admitted to the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital and tested positive for coronavirus.
The detail of the fourth person who is in a hospital in Belgharia in North 24 Parganas is yet to be known.
The 18-year-old youth, who was reported to be the first coronavirus case in the state, was released from the Beleghata ID Hospital after being declared fit. The hospital also discharged two more people -- a woman from Habra and a resident of Ballygunge.
West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay tweeted that the state government was trying to identify those who had attended a religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin earlier this month.
"All those from West Bengal who have participated in this event are being identified and will be immediately tested for COVID-19 and put under mandatory 14 days quarantine," Bandopadhyay tweeted.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee donated Rs 5 lakh each to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund and the state Emergency Relief Fund from her personal savings to help combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In the evening, she visited Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar to boost the morale of the police personnel who are working round the clock to ensure safety and security of the people.
The state government also issued an order asking cable TV operators not to disconnect services on account of non- payment of monthly fee.
The order signed by Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, said, "In view of the lockdown, cable TV connections should not be disconnected by the service providers for the next one month on account of non-payment of subscription fee."
Meanwhile, after days of political bonhomie, a verbal spat broke out between the BJP and the TMC over distribution of relief materials to people, after the saffron party alleged that the ruling party was not allowing the opposition to take part in relief work.
The TMC denied the claims and said the government is doing everything to help the people in distress.
"If the chief minister visits various parts of the city and distributes relief material, then it's fine. But when the BJP is trying to do the same, we are stopped in the name of prohibition of assembly of more than seven people. This is absolutely unacceptable," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said.
Senior TMC leader and minister Tapas Roy said people should refrain from indulging in politics at this time of crisis.
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