WB govt issues clarification, says only 3 COVID-19 deaths in state

A day after announcing four persons died due to coronavirus, the West Bengal government on Thursday clarified that there are only three COVID-19 deaths in the state.

The state government had earlier announced that the death toll was seven. However, Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha clarified that the four deaths due to COVID-19 has not been established, hence, the toll is three.

"All of them (four) had admitted themselves to hospitals with other symptoms and medical concerns. They were comorbidity patients. Out of the four, two people had tested positive after their deaths," Sinha said.

The Chief Secretary said that the four deaths that happened in the last 24 hours had developed COVID-19 symptoms later, post their admission. Thus, the government is not calling them COVID-19 deaths.

"The death of the four people attributed to COVID-19 has not been established yet," he said.

Out of 53 as announced earlier, three have been cured and released. Hence, the number has come down to 50 positive cases.

There had been three confirmed COVID-19 deaths as on Thursday. So, the number of active COVID-19 cases in West Bengal stands at 34.

The total number of cases in India climbed to 2,069 on Thursday after 235 people tested positive in the last 24 hours, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. So far, at least 53 people have lost their lives owing to the virus.