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‘Covid-19 containment can be derailed if…': Health minister's warning amid festive season
The health minister also cited results of experiments that showed 96% immunity from the Covid-19 after the first dose of the jab.
Covid-19 containment measures can be derailed if the festivals are not observed in strict adherence to the health protocol, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya warned on Saturday. "The two-pronged solution is to follow Covid protocols very strictly and to speed up vaccination," the minister also said in a statement. The health minister also urged medical authorities of 19 states to escalate their inoculation pace so that India can achieve administering 100 crore vaccine doses in the next few days.
He also cited results of experiments that showed 96% immunity from the Covid-19 after the first dose of the jab. The number increases to nearly 98 per cent for people who have taken both doses of the vaccine, the health minister noted.
The states that have been asked to accelerate vaccination drives are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
"In consultation with the states, the minister exhorted each state to increase their target so that the administration of the last six crore doses for reaching the mark of 100 crores is achieved in the next few days," the health ministry said in a statement.
The statement was released after a meeting was held between the 19 state officials and the Union health ministry. It was also attended by Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, who asked the state health officials to ensure that the standard operating procedure, released by the Centre on September 30, is being strictly followed.
According to the SOP, mass-gatherings in containment zones are prohibited. It also restricts mass gathering in districts that have more than 5% case positivity. Districts that have a positivity rate below 5% can organise gatherings, but advance permissions are required. It will also be subjected to the number of people allowed at the gathering.
The senior health official also asked states to closely monitor case trajectories in all districts daily to identify any early warning signal of a Covid outbreak.
(With agency inputs)
