Mamata directs Bengal officials to make arrangements to deal with deteriorating COVID-19 situation

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has directed all the top officials to make elaborate arrangements and step up their efforts at every level to deal with the deteriorating COVID-19 situation in the state.

Taking to Twitter, Banerjee said that the Chief Secretary along with key officials will be doing a press conference at 2 pm to discuss the details of the plan to deal with the COVID-19 situation.

"With the massive surge in #COVID19 cases across India, GoWB is taking all necessary steps to protect its people. I've reached out the PM to help us with additional medicines and vaccines required," she tweeted.

"I have also directed all the top officials to make elaborate arrangements and step up their efforts at every level to deal with #COVID19 situation in WB. The Chief Secretary along with key officials will be doing a Press conference at 2PM to discuss the details of the plan," the Chief Minister said in another tweet.

The poll-bound West Bengal reported 8,419 fresh COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths yesterday, the state health department informed on Sunday.

"There are 49,638 active COVID-19 cases in West Bengal, while with 28 new, deaths the death toll in the state has gone up to 10,568," the health department said.

The West Bengal Chief Minister, yesterday, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting supply of 5.4 crores more vaccine doses, steady supply of Remdesivir and Tocilizumab medicines and supply of oxygen in the poll-bound state as soon as possible.

"We have to vaccinate around 2.7 crore and we need 5.4 crore doses. We request for your urgent intervention to ensure that the state gets its requirement of vaccine doses fulfillment at the earliest," the letter said.

In the letter, Mamata requested a steady supply of oxygen in the state.

Amid a record spike in COVID-19 cases in the country, the Election Commission on Friday had decided to curtail the timings of campaigns for the remaining phases and extended the silence period to 72 hours for each of the phases.

TMC had earlier requested to phase the remaining three phases of West Bengal polls, out of eight, to club into one phase but EC has denied the request.

The first five phases were held on March 27, April 1, April 6, April 10 and April 17 respectively. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

( With inputs from ANI )