Random testing of int'l flyers starts at city airport

KOLKATA: City's Mayor Firhad Hakim said that the people are not coming to take a booster jab. Many of the vaccination centres run by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) hardly finds a person seeking a booster jab.

Hakim also said that booster vaccination is going on in all the boroughs of the KMC. The number of people taking booster doses is much less. Only 20 per cent people have received booster doses so far. There are around 10 people in each vaccination centre to manage it. But people are not coming.

Incidentally, following the directives from the Centre, random testing has been started at the Calcutta Airport for those coming from abroad.

According to sources in the health department, over 45,000 doses of Covaxin are still available with the Bagbazar Central lab. Out of 45,000 doses around 21,000 doses are expected to be finished by the end of December. Covishield doses have already been exhausted. State government has already taken up the vaccine issue with the Centre. State has already inquired from the Centre how the next phase of vaccination will be rolled out. During a recent meeting with the Centre, the state asked if the existing vaccines will be effective for the new variant that has hit various countries like China, Japan. State awaits Centre's decision regarding fresh supply of doses.

It may be mentioned here that the state health department is setting up permanent Covid wards in various districts. State government has already disbursed a fund of Rs 360 crore for strengthening infrastructure in the hospitals.

Permanent Covid wards are being constructed in various districts which include Hooghly, Diamond Harbour, Bankura, and Nadia. Around 16 Covid wards are coming up having 100 beds each while 4 Covid wards will be set up with 50 beds. More than 100 more wards will be constructed having 20 beds each. State government also informed the Centre that it has asked all the civic bodies to remain alert.

State on Saturday registered 6 Covid cases while on Friday the single day cases stood at 5. No death was reported on Saturday as well. After 3 years, Bengal witnessed zero single day Covid cases on Sunday while on Monday only one case had been reported.

The total active cases stood at 49 on Saturday. Recovery rate has gone up to 98.98 per cent. Around 47 patients are in home isolation whereas only 2 patients are undergoing treatment at hospital.