This is an archive article published on May 30, 2020
Bengal scrambles to contain Covid-19 as migrants return
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her anxiety over the influx of migrant workers during a press briefing on Thursday. She also upbraided the Railways for sending a large number of Shramik Special trains without consulting the state.
Migrant workers, after returning from other states, make their way home, at Barasat in North 24 Parganas on Friday. (Express Photo by Shashi Ghosh )
Some districts that had largely remained unscathed by the novel coronavirus until a few days ago have been witnessing a surge in positive cases since migrant workers started streaming back to the state.
According to the state government, more than 250 migrant workers have tested positive in Malda, Murshidabad, North and South Dinajpur, Birbhum, East and West Burdwan, and other districts.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her anxiety over the influx of migrant workers during a press briefing on Thursday. She also upbraided the Railways for sending a large number of Shramik Special trains without consulting the state.
For example, in Malda, North and South Dinajpur districts, almost all cases have linked to migrant workers. In Howrah, South and North 24 Parganas, and Hooghly, a majority of the cases have been connected with migrants.
A senior official of the state Health Department said more than 30 Shramik trains carrying 50,000 people had entered the state and more were on their way. “The number of positive cases is bound to increase with so many migrant workers returning to state,” said the official.
CM Banerjee has feared that the state health infrastructure, already running at capacity, may not be able to cope with the increasing number of migrants.
“We had almost controlled the spread. Lakhs of people, however, have started to come back. They are our people and will definitely come back. But what will we do if we find that 25 per cent of them are positive?” Banerjee had asked during a press briefing on Wednesday.
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The West Bengal Government had already changed the protocol for migrant workers coming from ‘high-burden Covid states’ — Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Such migrants have to stay in a 14-day institutional quarantine. The government is also encouraging asymptomatic people to stay in their own house by strictly following social distancing and other norms.
Virologist Amitabha Nandy argued that migrant workers must be sent to institutional quarantine. “The government did not follow a particular system before allowing migrants to return to the state. There are several asymptomatic carriers among them. Moreover, instead of sending them to institutional quarantine they were sent for home isolation after their arrival. Many such people violated the isolation norms and spread the infection. This is the reason why there has been a spike,” said Nandy.
He favoured a national programme to contain the spread. “This can be done in three stages — information, education and communication,” he elaborated.
Doctor Kunal Sarkar criticised the Central government’s decision to send so many migrant labourers to the state all of a sudden. He also favoured institutional quarantine for migrant workers.
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State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, “If Uttar Pradesh could handle so many migrants together, why can’t West Bengal? The Bengal government has been an utter failure in addressing Covid-19 and is now trying to shift the onus on the Centre.”
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
3 min read
Migrant workers, after returning from other states, make their way home, at Barasat in North 24 Parganas on Friday. (Express Photo by Shashi Ghosh )
