Published 18:16 IST, April 18th 2020

BJP slams Bengal govt's COVID-19 audit committee & advisory panel; Doctors' body protests

Slamming the Mamata Banerjee government's COVID-19 Advisory Committee and Audit committee, BJP pointed out that the expert body had no virologist to head it

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Slamming Mamata Banerjee government's COVID-19 Advisory Committee and Audit committee, BJP I-T chief Amit Malviya, on Saturday, pointed out that expert body had virologist, respiratory medicine specialist to head committee. Similarly, audit committee which decided if a patient's death was classified as a COVID-19 death, had forensic specialist, pointed out Malviya. He added that w, an Ophthalmologist had been appointed by Bengal government to oversee COVID operations in rth Bengal.

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BJP slams West Bengal's advisory committee

West Bengal: 60 people flout lockdown in Hooghly to attend Friday prayers at mosque

Doctors protest appointment

Earlier in day, West Bengal's Doctors Forum has opposed Bengal government's decision, writing to Principal secretary stating ir surprise at appointment of Dr. Susanta Kumar Roy - Sr. Medical officer (Ophthalmology) to head COVID-19 operations in rth Bengal districts. y pointed out that public health specialists trained in community medicine were best equipped to deal with pandemic. Bengal government has appointed a five-member death audit committee to declare if a person has died of viral disease - this move has been heavily criticized by Opposition, alleging that government was under-reporting deaths due to Coronavirus.

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Bengal and lockdown violations

state has seen several lockdown violations for past two weeks - tably in Murshidabad and Hooghly were several people gared at a mosque to offer Friday prayers. Though police had dispersed crowd immediately, CM Mamata Banerjee has taken cognizance of repeated violations in that district and has directed Murshidabad DIG to stop such garings. MHA too has written to Banerjee highlighting that lockdown guidelines were being violated in several parts of state, stating that West Bengal government had allowed more exemptions leading to a gradual dilution of lockdown. 

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Lockdown extended

On Saturday, West Bengal government declared that lockdown would be extended till April 30 and all educational institutions would be closed till June 10. one will be able to step out of ir homes in 10 hotspots from where several COVID-19 cases have been reported. Earlier in day, wearing face masks or any available cloth to cover se and mouth was made compulsory in West Bengal. state's COVID-19 tally stands at 287, with 10 deaths.

18:16 IST, April 18th 2020