West Bengal logs 8,419 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 18 (ANI): The poll-bound West Bengal reported 8,419 fresh COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths in the last 24 hours, 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, earlier today, 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.
"We need around 6000 vials of Remdesivir and 1000 vials of Tocilizumab daily. However, at present there is supply of 1000 Remdesivir and no fresh supply of Tocilizumab coming," it said.
In the letter, Mamata requested a steady supply of oxygen in the state.
However, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee held a roadshow from Dhakuria Bridge to Kalighat Crossing in Kolkata where a massive crowd was gathered.
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. (ANI)