BackSII CEO Adar Poonawalla has assured 'maximum support' to Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray's Office
Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state by the Covid-19 pandemic
PremiumSerum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla has assured Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray of 'maximum support' to ensure maximum vaccinations at the earliest in Covid-hit Maharashtra, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) tweeted on Saturday.
"CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has been assured of maximum support by Mr Adar Poonawalla and the Serum Institute of India to ensure maximum vaccination at the earliest in the State of Maharashtra," the CMO tweeted.
"
We are proud to have a world-class institution like Serum Institute of India in our state and we look forward to a strategic partnership for the safety of our citizens from COVID-19," it added.
Maharashtra reported 67,160 new COVID-19 cases, and 676 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the State Health bulletin on Saturday evening.
With over 65,000 new cases, the total active cases in the state reached 6,94,480. As many as 63,928 people have died in the state so far as Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state by the pandemic.
The total caseload in the state has reached 42,28,836, while a total of 34,68,610 patients have recovered from the disease so far.
India is battling a second Covid-19 wave. The Centre has asked states to ramp up the vaccination drive. It has also opened vaccinations to all adults in the third phase of the drive starting May 1. The govt also liberalised the vaccination drive to allow states, private hospitals and industrial establishments to procure the doses directly from manufacturers.
SII has fixed the prices of Covishield vaccine at ₹400 per dose for state governments and ₹600 per dose for private hospitals.
Besides Covishield, India approved the EUA for two other vaccines Covaxin and Sputnik V for its inoculation program against COVID-19.
Zydus Cadila also received emergency use approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) on Friday for the use of 'Virafin', Pegylated Interferon alpha-2b (PegIFN) in treating moderate Covid infection in adults.
A single-dose subcutaneous regimen of the antiviral Virafin will make the treatment more convenient for the patients. When administered early on during COVID-19, Virafin will help patients recover faster and avoid much of the complications, the company said.
According to the Union Health Ministry, the cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 14,08,02,794 as of Saturday.
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
