Bengal sees sharp rise in COVID-19 cases after Durga Puja, most infected fully vaccinated and asymptomatic

A week after the celebration of the Durga Puja, the COVID-19 numbers are on the rise in Kolkata as the city reports 242 new infections on Friday. This is a sharp increase from the 127 cases registered last Friday. Looking at the rise in the graph quarantine centres in the city will be reopened on Monday for patients who need to isolate.

Of the newly infected people, 150 were fully vaccinated while 15 of them had taken their first dose of the vaccine. The officials are attributing the sudden surge in cases to the lack of safety protocols followed by people during the Durga Puja festivities last week when people went out in large numbers for puja shopping and pandal hopping.

The more worrying part is that the civic authorities say that 200 of the new infections are asymptomatic which means they may have spread the virus to people around them. And this surge is not just limited to Kolkata but the rest of Bengal is also witnessing a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases.

Within seven days the daily COVID-19 count has jumped from 451 to 833 cases. Meanwhile, the state government reinstated the night curfew from 11 pm to 5 am that had been lifted for the Durga Pujas.

"All health department workers leave was cancelled after we saw large numbers of people out on the streets to enjoy Durga Puja. Many of them did not wear masks. We are watching the situation as the incubation period of their infection is not over yet," said Atin Ghosh, Health in charge of Kolkata Municipal Corporation.