As many as 1.4 crore vaccines have been administered free of cost by the state government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday.
Claiming that Covid cases have reduced to half, the CM said, “1.4 crore vaccines have been given free of cost by us and hence coronavirus cases have decreased to half in the state.”
“Other states have imposed lockdown but we have only enforced certain restrictions, and people are supporting us,” CM added.
Mamata Banerjee also announced that priests of all major temples will be vaccinated by her government.
READ MORE: Mamata Banerjee defied protocol, misleading on controversy over Chief Secretary: Govt sources
With the Covid-19 situation improving in West Bengal, the state government on Thursday decided to allow restaurants to open for three hours in the
evening, provided people working there are vaccinated, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.
The government is also thinking of allowing shopping malls to open with 25 per cent workforce after the ongoing Covid related restrictions come to an end on June 15, she said at a meeting with representatives of various chambers of commerce at the state secretariat.
"Covid-19 contagion is declining in West Bengal following the imposition of restrictions. Restaurants can be open for three hours in the evening from 5 pm to 8 pm provided the people working there are vaccinated," Banerjee said.
"The government cannot single-handedly vaccinate everyone. I will urge you to come forward and help us to inoculate the people," she said.
On Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee had demanded the Centre to provide free vaccines to states and claimed that her counterparts in Odisha, Kerala and Delhi are in agreement over her stand.
Banerjee who is at logerheads with the Centre also doubts on the union government's assertion that it would administer COVID-19 vaccines to the entire population above the age of 18 by the end of 2021 and termed the statement a "hoax".
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