Ensure that curbs don’t hit access to jab centres: Govt
Many states/UTs have imposed restrictions after 2,61,500 cases registered in past 24 hours
States and Union territories should ensure that movement restrictions imposed by them to limit coronavirus transmission does not adversely impact the covid-19 vaccination exercise, by restricting access of beneficiaries to covid vaccination centres (CVCs), the Union health ministry said on Sunday.
India has administered nearly 3 crore covid doses, even as the number of daily cases breached the 2.6 lakh mark, forcing states to impose local lockdowns and weekend curfews.
“In view of the rising covid-19 cases across many states and Union territories, various measures are being undertaken to control the spread of covid-19, which include covid-19 curfews and partial or complete lockdown in some states and districts for variable periods. Similarly, for management of covid-19 cases, certain hospitals are being earmarked as dedicated covid-19 hospitals for management of only covid-19 cases,” Manohar Agnani, additional secretary, Union health ministry, said in a letter to states.
“In this regard, it is advised that covid-19 vaccination services should not be affected by covid-19 curfews and lockdowns and the movement of beneficiaries to and from covid-19 vaccination centres (CVCs) should not be restricted during such interventions. Similarly, those CVCs that have been identified as dedicated covid-19 hospitals should continue providing uninterrupted covid-19 vaccination services,” Agnani said in the letter.
Vaccination should be done in separate buildings or blocks of these hospitals that are distinctly separated from the building block where management of covid-19 patients is being done, Agnani said. This will ensure that beneficiaries of vaccination are not inadvertently exposed to covid-19 in these hospitals, he said.
The Union government will extend all possible support for covid-19 vaccination, which is an important strategy for mitigating the impact of the pandemic, Agnani said.
Meanwhile, India’s daily new cases continue to rise with 2,61,500 cases being registered in the past 24 hours.
Ten states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan have reported 78.56% of the new cases, Union health ministry data showed.
Maharashtra has reported the highest number of daily new cases at 67,123. It is followed by Uttar Pradesh with 27,334 new cases and Delhi with 24,375 new cases.
The daily positivity rate in the past 12 days has doubled from 8% to 16.69%. The national weekly positivity rate has risen from 3.05% to 13.54% in one month. Chhattisgarh reported the highest weekly positivity rate among states at 30.38%.
India’s total active caseload has reached 18,01,316. It now accounts for 12.18% of the country’s total positive cases. The five states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala cumulatively account for as much as 65.02% of India’s total active cases. Maharashtra alone accounts for 38.09% of the total active caseload of the country.
India’s cumulative recoveries stand at 1,28,09,643 as on Sunday with the national recovery rate having gone down to 86.62%.
At least 1,501 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours. Ten states account for 82.94% of the new deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties at 419. Delhi follows with 167 daily deaths, the government said. Several states such as Delhi, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have imposed movement restrictions.
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First Published:18 Apr 2021, 11:22 PM IST
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