Trinamool MLA Tamonash Ghosh, 60, passed away due to coronavirus on Wednesday, the first legislator to fall prey to the pandemic in West Bengal. Ghosh had tested positive for the virus in May.
The three-time MLA from the Falta assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district was admitted to a hospital after he tested positive for the disease. He had several complications related to the heart and the kidney, sources said.
Tweeting her condolence, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: “Very, very sad. Tamonash Ghosh, 3-time MLA from Falta & party treasurer since 1998 had to leave us today. Been with us for over 35 years, he was dedicated to the cause of the people & party. He contributed much through his social work.”
She added: “He has left a void that will be difficult to fill. On behalf of all of us, heartfelt condolences to his wife Jharna, his two daughters, friends and well wishers.”
On Tuesday, 11 more people succumbed to Covid-19 in West Bengal, taking the toll due to the disease to 580, while 370 fresh cases pushed the state’s tally to 14,728, a health department bulletin said. Nine of the 11 deaths were due to comorbidities where COVID-19 was incidental, it added.
Of the 11 deaths, four were from Howrah district, three each from Kolkata and North 24 Parganas districts, and one from Purba Medinipur.
With the 370 fresh infections, the number of active COVID-19 cases in the state stands at 4,930. The new COVID-19 cases were reported from Kolkata (81), North 24 Parganas (55), Howrah (49), Dakshin Dinajpur (36), South 24 Parganas (28) and Malda (26), the bulletin said.
Nineteen cases were reported in Darjeeling; 17 in Bankura; 16 in Jalpaiguri; 13 in Uttar Dinajpur; eight in Birbhum; five in Hooghly; four each in Nadia, Murshidabad and Purba Medinipur; three in Paschim Medinipur; and one each in Alipurduar and Purba Burdwan, it said.
The discharge rate in West Bengal improved to 62.58 per cent after 531 patients were discharged from different hospitals on Tuesday. Of the 531 recovered patients, 205 were from Kolkata and 100 from neighbouring North 24 Parganas district. Till Tuesday, a total of 9,218 people have recovered from the disease in the state.
Since Monday, 9,423 samples have been tested in West Bengal, taking the total number of samples tested so far to 4,20,277, the bulletin said.
