Vehicles cross the Howrah bridge during the ongoing COVID-19 nationwide lockdown in Kolkata Thursday June 4 2020. (Photo | PTI)
Vehicles cross the Howrah bridge during the ongoing COVID-19 nationwide lockdown in Kolkata Thursday June 4 2020. (Photo | PTI)

COVID-19 positive cases in Bengal at 6,876; shooting of TV serials to resume after two months

There were eight people from West Medinipore who tested positive for coronavirus infection, while seven each from East Burdwan and Nadia districts were also found to be positive.

KOLKATA: West Bengal reported 10 more COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, taking their number to 283 as 368 new cases of the infection pushed the tally to 6,876, a state health bulletin said here.

Of the fresh fatalities, five were in Kolkata, three in neighbouring Howrah and two were from the North 24 Parganas district, it said.

Besides the 283 people who died of COVID-19 in the state, there were 72 patients who lost their lives due to comorbid conditions in which the coronavirus infection was "incidental", it maintained.

Most of the fresh cases were reported from Kolkata with 94 detections in the metropolis, followed by Howrah (50), Hooghly (47), North 24 Parganas (41), Bankura (24), East Medinipore (16), Birbhum (14) and West Burdwan (9), the bulletin added.

There were eight people from West Medinipore who tested positive for coronavirus infection, while seven each from East Burdwan and Nadia districts were also found to be positive, it stated.

"This high incidence of COVID-19 infection is because of the large number of migrant labourers returning from other states. Also because we are testing more, leading to this result. This is a good sign as we are detecting those infected," a senior official of the state Health Department said.

Among the northern districts, 10 cases were found in Darjeeling, followed by seven in Uttar Dinajpur, six in Coochbehar, five in Malda and four each in Dakshin Dinajpur and Alipurduar, the bulletin said.

At least 9,606 samples have been tested since Wednesday evening, taking the total number of such examinations conducted in the state to 2,41,831, it said.

A total of 188 more patients have been discharged from hospitals in the state after recovering from the disease, taking the number of people cured so far to 2,768, the bulletin said.

After a break of over two months, the shooting of Bengali television serials will start from June 10 without child artistes and putting in place all measures to prevent coronavirus infection, state minister Arup Biswas said on Thursday.

Elderly actors, who are above 65, may join work after submitting a written undertaking that they are coming to the shooting floor willingly, he said.

"Shooting for serials will recommence from June 10 but no child actor will be allowed," Biswas told reporters after a meeting with representatives of television channels, artistes, producers and technicians.

Biswas is the state's PWD, youth affairs and sports minister, but he also looks after the entertainment industry.

It was also decided that intimate scenes will not be shot at present, one of the producers present at the meeting said.

The state government issued a notification on May 30, allowing shootings of serials, web series, and feature films from June 1 with the gathering of a maximum of 35 people.

However, the filming of reality shows is still not permitted.

After the notification was issued, the stakeholders had said the resumption of actual filming could take a little more time as producers have to chalk out logistics as per new guidelines.

The guidelines related to serial shoots chalked out during the past few days were ratified at the meeting on Thursday.

The measures for the resumption of film shoots and web series will be decided at another meeting on June 7.

"There has been a significant change in pre- and post-COVID 19 situations. We have to adapt to that change," one of the serial producers and director Leena Gangopadhyay said.

About shooting of intimate scenes, she said such scenes are generally not shown in serials.

"If an intimate scene is necessary, there are many ways to shoot it. One doesn't need to shoot it in an explicit way," Gangopadhyay said.

All stakeholders of the city's entertainment industry had decided to suspend shooting of feature films, TV serials and web series from March 18 to 30 in the wake of the novel coronavirus scare.

Later, a nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25 and it was extended several times.

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