Owing to a massive rise in COVID-19 cases in India, many state governments have imposed restrcitions, curfews, lockdowns in their respective states. The restrictions have been imposed on movement of non-essential service people and general public amid COVID-19. Although the vaccination drive for COVID-19 is underway the Union Health Ministry has written to States/UTs to ensure that movement restriction imposed by them for COVID-19 control does not adversely impact the Vaccination exercise, by restricting access of beneficiaries to the COVID Vaccination Centres.
In the order issued by the Union Health Ministry, it advised the states/UTs the vaccination services should not be affected by COVID-19 curfews, lockdowns and the movement of beneficiaries to and from COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (CNCs) should not be restricted during such interventions. Similarly those CVCs whics have been identified as dedicated COVID-19 hospitals should continue providing uninterrupted COVID-19 vaccination services.
It also said, vaccination services should be provided in a separate building/block in these hospitals that is distinctly separated from the building block where management of COVID-19 patients is being done. This will ensure that beneficiaries of vaccination are not inadvertently exposed to COVID-19 these hospitals.
Meanwhile, India took only 92 days to administer 12 crore COVID-19 vaccinations, the fastest country to do so across the world, reported the Press Information Bureau (PIB). The United States is at the second position as it managed to reach the 12 crore mark in 97 days, followed by China, which took 108 days to reach the same target.
As per a provisional report put together till 7am on Sunday, India has administered 12,26,22,590 vaccine doses. These include 91,28,146 healthcare workers (HCWs) who have taken the 1st dose and 57,08,223 HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 1,12,33,415 frontline workers (FLWs) (1stdose), 55,10,238 FLWs (2nddose), 4,55,94,522 1st dose beneficiaries and 38,91,294 2nd dose beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 4,04,74,993 (1st dose) and 10,81,759 (2nd dose) beneficiaries aged 45 to 60 years.
In India, states including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have alone managed to give more than 1 crore doses each to their population. Gujarat completed 1 crore vaccinations on the April 16, while the other three states achieved it on April 14.
In a press statement, PIB revealed that "eight states account for 59.5% of the total doses given so far in the country." It also states that in the last 24 hours, 26 lakh people were vaccinated.
Meanwhile, India's daily new COVID-19 cases continue to increase. The country registered 2,61,500 new cases in the last 24 hours.
Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 67,123. It is followed by Uttar Pradesh with 27,334 while Delhi reported 24,375 new cases. Ten states including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan report 78.56% of the new cases, read the press statement by PIB.
(With agency inputs)
