Over 58% of eligible population vaccinated against Covid in Puducherry, says L-G

Lieutenant governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan pointed out that there is an adequate stock of vaccine doses in Puducherry and medical teams have been ordered to make door-to-door visits to ensure all beneficiaries are inoculated.

Puducherry’s lieutenant governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan said on Wednesday that the Union territory has administered vaccines against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to more than 58% of its eligible population, adding the government is aiming for a 100% coverage of beneficiaries by August 15.

According to the Union health ministry’s dashboard, 728,479 beneficiaries in Puducherry have been administered vaccine doses till now. (Bloomberg file photo)

“Puducherry has covered more than 58 per cent of the population eligible for vaccination,” Dr Soundararajan said while speaking to reporters after she had participated in the World Breastfeeding Week Awareness programme at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Women and Child Hospital. She also urged residents to understand the importance of getting the jab.

The lieutenant governor pointed out that there is an adequate stock of vaccine doses in Puducherry and medical teams have been ordered to make door-to-door visits to ensure all beneficiaries are inoculated.

According to the Union health ministry’s dashboard, 728,479 beneficiaries in Puducherry have been administered vaccine doses till now of which 13,058,068 have received the first dose and the remaining 4,003,379 have received both doses. The government has organised four vaccination festivals to inoculate all residents above 18 years in the Union Territory with the fourth one held between July 29-August 1. The first vaccination festival was held for six days from June 16 while the second was for three days from July 10 and the third was from July 23-24.

Meanwhile, Puducherry’s caseload has climbed to 121,252 of which 118,547 patients have recovered, nearly 1,800 have died. The active cases stand at 907 of which 162 are in hospitals and the remaining 745 are in home isolation, according to the health department’s bulletin. The daily cases in the Union Territory have been witnessing a slight increase. On Wednesday, 120 cases were reported and 73 cases were seen on Tuesday while 54 people had tested positive for the viral disease on Monday.

(With PTI inputs)