Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking speedy vaccination and its increased coverage for citizens in the national capital and the country.
In his letter, Kejriwal requested PM Modi to relax conditions for opening new vaccination centres as well as relaxation in the age limit for vaccination and making it available for all.
The request for a widespread vaccination plan by Kejriwal for citizens comes on a day when India marked a grim milestone by recording its highest ever single-day spike in the number of Covid-19 cases.
India on Monday shattered its previous daily infection rate and recorded 1,03,558 new infections pushing the nationwide Covid-19 tally to 1,25,89,067, according to the Union health ministry data.
The single-day rise in cases surpassed the earlier peak of 97,894 infections reported on September 17 last year. The fatalities due to the viral contagion also spiked sharply after 478 new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.
"The increase in the rate of transition of Corona across the country has presented new concerns and challenges. The vaccination campaign needs to move more rapidly in this context," Kejriwal wrote in the letter.
If rules for opening new centres are simplified and everyone is allowed to be vaccinated irrespective of age, then the Delhi government can vaccinate all Delhi residents within three months, the Delhi CM reasoned.
{{/usCountry}}If rules for opening new centres are simplified and everyone is allowed to be vaccinated irrespective of age, then the Delhi government can vaccinate all Delhi residents within three months, the Delhi CM reasoned.
{{/usCountry}}"The rapid spread of infection between immunization campaigns in this way suggests that we must move the vaccination campaign forward in a more swift manner," the letter to the prime minister read.
Suggesting a two-pronged approach, Kejriwal said, "First, there is an urgent need to increase the number of vaccination centers. For this, the pre-conditions placed by the Centre regarding vaccination centers need to be relaxed."
"Second, it should be made available to everyone by removing the age limit to immunization. Except for those who cannot get vaccinated medically, we should start vaccinating everyone. This will remove the hesitation among people and increase the number of people getting vaccinated. The more people get vaccinated, the more we will be able to reduce the spread of the disease," he added.
Kejriwal has told PM Modi that the vaccination drive has to be organised as a "war-level effort" in the fight.
"I hope the support that the Centre had extended to Delhi would continue and you would respond positively to my request," the CM said.
The Covid-19 cases in India have surged at a rate higher than that witnessed last year. It took 76 days for the single-day numbers to reach the then peak of 97,894 (in September 2020) from 20,000. However, this time the daily rise in cases have galloped at a much faster pace taking just 25 days (March 10 to April 4) to cross the grim milestone of one-lakh infections.