COVID-19 vaccines will 'obviously' be free in Assam, claims Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Assam's Finance, Health, and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced that the BJP-led Government at the centre has decided to provide COVID-19 vaccines free of cost to all the states.

Addressing media persons on Friday, Sarma said that the "COVID-19 vaccine will obviously be free in Assam." He further added that the government of India has already decided to deliver the vaccines free of cost to everyone, irrespective of age or background.

Sarma's announcement came a day after the Central Government announced that the vaccines would be delivered free-of-cost for poll-bound Bihar. This declaration was made by the BJP while releasing the election manifesto.

During his address, the Assam Minister also informed that the COVID-19 curve in Assam is now showing a downward trend, and urged the citizens to maintain the protocols associated with the COVID-19 so as to maintain this. "This time, people should follow the religious rituals only during Durga Puja," he said.

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Expressing optimism, Sarma said that if the current trend continues, the COVID-19 will finally be defeated once and for all.

Assam's COVID-19 death toll went up to 896 after seven more people succumbed to the disease on Thursday, while 508 new cases pushed the tally to 2,03,282, Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Of the fresh fatalities, two were reported from Golaghat and one each from Kamrup Metropolitan, Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Jorhat and Sonitpur, he said.

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