The state health department has procured Covid testing kits that will be sufficient for at least three months at the current rate of testing, an official of the department said on Wednesday.
The department has placed a request with the Union health ministry for a fresh supply of Covid vaccine doses.
Officials of the department said the steps were only to ensure that the state was ready to deal with any rise in Covid cases, but there was no reason for panic. Doctors, too, added that people should be careful but there was no reason to panic.
“The daily new Covid case count has not crossed single-digits. Everything is absolutely fine. There is no reason for worry,” said a senior official of the department.
Nine new Covid cases were reported from the state on Wednesday and eight on Tuesday.
“We have procured 1 lakh RT-PCR kits and 2 lakh rapid antigen test (RAT) kits. At the current rate of testing, this will be enough for about three months. If the testing rate jumps in the coming days, then we will have to procure more stocks at shorter intervals,” said the official. The kits are valid for one year.
Bengal’s chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi held a video conference with senior officials of the health department and district magistrates on Monday where he reviewed the state’s preparedness. Senior officials of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation were also present.
The state government doesn’t have enough vaccine doses that would last many days. The fresh supply would ensure that vaccination would not be hampered if there is a sudden spike in demand. There is especially a dearth of Covishield doses.
Some private hospitals, too, are procuring fresh supplies.