West Bengal is reported to have dropped COVID-19 infections considerably, while the State has set up a 10-member expert committee comprising doctors from state-run hospitals to tackle a possible third Covid-19 wave. The committee would supervise and monitor the evolving situation and suggest suitable interventions for effective management.

'In view of the purported third wave of Covid-19, there is an immediate need to undertake all precautionary steps to prepare our health system to handle any potential situation specially pertaining to paediatric Covid cases,” a notification issued by the State Health Department said. The West Bengal government has started earmarking beds in hospitals to treat children aged up to 12 in case the third wave of Covid-19 hits. 'Many scientists are of the opinion that children may be affected more in number during the next wave of Covid-19. The state government has planned to protect the children by escalating inpatient Covid facilities for the younger group,' said an earlier order.

An official said that as children, with mild to moderate symptoms, would have to be kept alongside their mothers, around 10,000 general beds would be earmarked.

The State has recorded 1,852 new infections in the past 24 hours and 47 deaths. The total deaths have reached 17,437 and the number of active cases infections have dropped to 22,508. The State tested 51,233 samples for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours and the case positivity rate remained at 3.61 percent.

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