India
Latest News LIVE Updates: India Fastest Country To Reach 5 Million Covid Vaccination-Mark, Says Centre
Cumulative number of healthcare workers vaccinated is nearly 53 lakhs. (File)
New Delhi:
India has become the first country in the world to reach the 5 million COVID-19 vaccination mark in just 21 days, the Union Health Ministry said as nearly 53 lakh beneficiaries have been administered shots under the countrywide inoculation exercise till Friday evening.
The USA, the UK and Israel have reached 5 million vaccinations in 24, 43 and 45 simultaneous days respectively.
“The countrywide COVID-19 vaccination program was conducted successfully on the twenty-first day as well,” the ministry said.
The cumulative number of healthcare workers vaccinated against COVID-19 is nearly 53 lakhs.
Meanwhile, There will be no “chakka jam” or road block in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Saturday, though farmers across the country are likely to protest “peacefully” on national highways, an umbrella body of farmers have said. The statement comes days after a tractor rally on Republic Day by farmers in Delhi turned violent.
In a statement, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha that is participating in the protest to demand repeal of the three new farm laws said essential services such as ambulances and school buses will not be stopped during the “chakka jam” scheduled to be organised between 12 pm and 3 pm on Saturday.
Here are the Latest News Live Updates:
Security tightened, in the light of ‘Chakka Jaam’ appeals by farmer unions protesting the farm laws.
Delhi: Security tightened, in the light of ‘Chakka Jaam’ appeals by farmer unions protesting the farm laws
Visuals from the ITO area with barbed wires placed over police barricades pic.twitter.com/4RcDLVv4ZZ
– ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2021
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday said that the third phase of COVID-19 vaccination, in which people above 50 years of age will be vaccinated, is expected to start next month.
India has become the first country in the world to reach the 5 million COVID-19 vaccination mark in just 21 days, the Union Health Ministry said as nearly 53 lakh beneficiaries have been administered shots under the countrywide inoculation exercise till Friday evening.
Madrid authorities on Friday confirmed the first case in the region of the Brazilian variant of coronavirus, which is feared to be particularly infectious, in the region.
A 44-year-old man who arrived at Madrid’s airport on January 29 tested positive for the coronavirus and subsequent lab tests confirmed he had caught the new strain, the regional government of Madrid said in a statement.
The case is the first report in Spain of the variant, blamed for a disastrous surge in infections in the Brazilian city of Manaus.
The announcement came three days after Spain restricted arrivals by air from Brazil and South Africa to curb the spread of new strains.
A total of 174 doctors, 116 nurses and 199 healthcare workers have died due to COVID-19 in the country, the government informed Lok Sabha on Friday, citing data from states received under an insurance scheme.
In written reply to a question, Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey said that duly implementing a series of containment measures including lockdown and promotion of COVID-19-appropriate behaviours, India has been able to successfully manage and blunt the aggressive progression of the virus.
Elaborating on the measures taken to contain the pandemic, the minister said dedicated health infrastructure focused on COVID-19 was identified and earmarked to manage surge in cases.
During the initial phases, the COVID-19 vaccine is being provided to healthcare workers and frontline workers for which, apart from free of cost supply of vaccines, the operational cost of Rs 123.49 crore has been released to the states and UTs, Minister of State for Health, Ashwini Choubey informed the Lok Sabha on Friday.
The minister further said no time limit has been set for completion of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in any state or UT presently.
The immunization drive against the novel coronavirus was rolled out from January 16 across the country.
The distribution of vaccines to states and UTs is being done as per the beneficiaries’ data load registered on the CO-WIN portal, Mr Choubey said in a written reply.
