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.
A total of 52,90,474 beneficiaries were vaccinated through 1,04,781 sessions, as per the provisional report comprising data collected till Friday 6 pm.
India’s COVID-19 tally of cases rose to 1,08,02,591 with 12,408 new infections being reported in a day, while the recoveries surged to 1,04,96,308, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death count increased to 1,54,823 with 120 daily new fatalities, the data showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to recuperated pushing the national COVID-19 recovery rate of 97.16 per cent, while the COVID-19 case fatality rate stands at 1.43 per cent. The total COVID-19 active cases remained below 2 lakh.
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174 Doctors, 116 Nurses, 199 Health Workers Died Due To Covid: Centre
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.
Over Rs 120 Crore Operational Cost For Covid Vaccination Drive Given To States, Union Territories: Centre
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.
