Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has extended the current lockdown with relaxations in the state from June 30 to July 31. Announcing this at the end of a 3-hour all party meeting today, Ms Banerjee said, “The COVID-19 problem is spreading. Let is try and extend the lockdown with restrictions till July 31.”
Bengal recorded 370 new cases of coronavirus yesterday, which took the total to 14,728. Of these, the number of active cases is 4,930. Besides, 11 deaths were recorded which brought the total to 580.
Another key decision on the coronavirus crisis taken during today’s meeting is to improve services to non- coronavirus patients.
The political parties agreed that non-COVID-19 patients were facing great difficulty in getting treatment at hospitals. The issue needs to be tackled and private hospitals taken on board, Ms Banerjee said.
A cap on cost of treatment too is on the anvil. “Maharashtra and Delhi have done it. We should too,” she said. The chief secretary will oversee an advisory to private hospitals.
“All parties demanded this cap, Ms Banerjee said, adding, “This is not a time to do business. There is a pandemic and hospitals must work in the spirit of service.”
