Underlining that the overall COVID-19 situation in Bengal has improved, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged people to take all forms of measures to protect children amid warning by experts that the third wave of the pandemic may pose greater risk to them.

Banerjee also said that the number of beds in the paediatric divisions of hospitals has been increased.

The state on Monday registered 1,879 fresh cases of COVID-19, which pushed the tally to 14,83,586, while 42 more deaths raised the toll to 17,390, the health department said in its bulletin "The COVID-19 situation in Bengal has improved a lot. The positivity rate, which rose to 32 per cent during the eight phase elections in the state, has now come down to four per cent," she explained.

In some districts, the number of new cases in a day has dipped to seven or eight, the CM said.

In North 24 Parganas and Howrah, the daily caseload is still somewhat high, but things are under control in the metropolis. We must, however, take all forms of precautionary measures to protect children as experts have warned that the third may might pose a bigger threat to them, Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat.

A senior official said the government is planning to allot more beds for women in hospitals, as it make arrangements to combat the third wave.

It has also decided to increase inpatient COVID-19 facilities for children following suggestions from an expert committee, the official said.

Around 10,000 general beds have been earmarked for mild and moderate paediatric cases in the age group of 90 days to 12 years, and 20 per cent of special newborn care unit beds has been set aside for one day to 90-day-old COVID-19 patients, he added.

According to the health department bulletin, 19 of the 42 fatalities died due to the comorbidities.

Since Sunday, 2,113 people recuperated from the disease in the state, taking the number of recoveries to 14,43,456. The discharge rate stands at 97.30 per cent.

As many as 3,17,993 people were inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.

With that, the total number of people who have received at least one jab rose to 1,93,39,317.