Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday put the number of active Covid-19 cases in Bengal at 80 after 12 new patients tested positive in 24 hours. The death toll stood unchanged at five.

The chief minister sought to prepare people for the possibility of the Centre extending the lockdown, saying she was unhappy with the inconvenience but there was no option as “there is nothing more precious than human lives”.

“Till yesterday, we had 71 active positive cases. There was a bit of a rise, by 12 today, including the Howrah hospital superintendent and another healthcare worker. So, there would have been 83 active positive cases today, but three have been cured and released. So we now have 80 active positive cases in Bengal,” Mamata said on Thursday during a meeting with industry and trade representatives at the Nabanna Sabhaghar in the evening.

She said a total of 1,886 samples had been tested in Bengal so far.

“Two more to be released, tomorrow or the day after. Some will be released in north Bengal too,” she added. “Five people have died so far because of Covid-19…. Bengal is a huge state and the density of population is very high. Bengal has nearly 11 crore people… many European countries don’t even come close.”

Mamata said she would attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s videoconference with all chief ministers on Saturday. At the meeting, on the basis of feedback from the states, Modi is likely to finalise the decision on extension of the lockdown. Several of the big states have already spoken out in favour of an extension.

“Up to April 14 midnight, the lockdown was already announced. I don’t quite know what happens after that. A meeting of chief ministers has been called on April 11…. I will attend it since I have been invited. I will see what discussions take place. Which way this is headed,” she said.

“I will, of course, give my opinion there. I am thinking about livelihood and the basics. Without breaking the lockdown,” she added.

Mamata underscored the importance of the next few weeks. “Because the lockdown cannot be broken. It is increasing gradually, the pandemic. The sensitivity of these two-three weeks will remain. We have to accept it,” she said.

“Ki korbo? Dombondho poristhiti, keui pochhondo korey na. Amra nijeyrao khoobi okhushi (What do we do? Claustrophobic situation, nobody likes it. We ourselves are intensely unhappy),” she added. “Not that we are supporting this. But there is no alternative, so we are compelled. There is nothing more precious than human lives. This decision, therefore, we must take.”

Mamata said her government has already distributed 248,100 personal protective equipment of the 11 lakh ordered, and 178,550 N95 masks of the 720,000 ordered. Also distributed were 1,109,550 other masks of the 12.5 lakh ordered, 44,251 litres of hand sanitizers out of the nearly 89,000 litres ordered, and 549,000 gloves of the 10 lakh ordered by the state. Thousands of thermal guns have already been distributed.

Mamata said the state already had 61 Covid-dedicated hospitals, including four in Calcutta.

Her government has also set up 562 quarantine centres. She said 5,188 people had already been released following clearance from the centres, and 4,717 remained under observation in them.