New Delhi:
Covid-19 vaccinations will be done throughout the month of April, including on gazetted holidays, the government informed today. It has decided to operationalise both public and private sector vaccination centres for this purpose. All states and Union Territories have been asked to make arrangements for this, taking a significant step to exponentially expand the countrywide vaccination drive.
The government has initiated these measures following deliberations with the states and Union Territories on March 31, a Press Information Bureau release said today. The idea is to optimally utilise all vaccination centres to rapidly increase the pace and coverage of the drive. It is in line with the graded and pro-active approach employed by the Centre, the release said.
Vaccination as a tool to protect the country’s most vulnerable population groups is being regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level, the government has said. Beginning today, it had decided to inoculate all people above 45 years of age. This decision was based on the recommendation of National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration.
In recent weeks, India has witnessed a resurgence in Covid-19 infections across the country. Today alone saw the biggest daily surge in Covid cases since early October with 72,330 fresh infections reported since yesterday, taking the overall figure to 1,22,21,665. This surge is also the highest since October 11 when 74,383 infections were recorded. On March 28, the state crossed 27 lakh cases.
At least one district in Maharashtra, Nandurbar, has imposed a complete lockdown in the district from midnight of March 31 to April 15. The state government has warned of another shutdown if there is no respite from this second wave. Several other districts of the state have been put under night curfew in recent weeks.