Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, June 21: In two new records of sorts on Monday, India registered the lowest new caseload in the last three months while registering the highest ever single day vaccination as the centre rolled out the new vaccination policy to provide free vaccines to all above the age of 18 years.
According to the union health ministry data, India recorded 53,256 new cases in the last 24 hours till 8 A.M. on Monday taking the total to 2,88,44,199 cases while the active caseload stood at 7,02,887 showing continuous decline in the pressure on the health infrastructure of the country. The single-day number of recoveries exceeded the number of new cases for the 39th consecutive day. Additionally, the recovery rate rose to 96.36 percent in the country.
More than 75 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered across the country in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day coverage till now, on Day One of centre’s new vaccination policy roll-out.
The centre started providing vaccines free of charge to all above 18 from today and took back control of vaccination from states, reversing a policy change that was enforced just about a month ago.
The centre also started the process of buying 75 per cent of the vaccines produced by companies, including 25 per cent assigned to states. Private hospitals will continue to buy the remaining 25 per cent and inoculate those willing to pay for their jabs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced earlier this month.
The last time India’s single-day vaccine coverage was the highest was on April 2 when 42,65,157 doses were administered.
“Central Government is beginning the ‘Free Vaccination For All campaign’ for every Indian from today. The biggest beneficiary of this phase of India’s vaccination drive shall be the poor, the middle class and the youth of the country. All of us should pledge to get ourselves vaccinated. Together we will defeat COVID-19,” Modi tweeted on Monday.
Several states have set higher inoculation targets as lockdown restrictions are being eased, with Haryana expecting to vaccinate at least 2 lakh people today. Gurugram’s health department, till 2PM today, vaccinated 45,728 people against COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the highest coverage in the city till now.
In Assam, which has one of the lowest vaccination rate within the country, the government today launched an “Enhanced Covid Vaccination” drive that targets to inoculate 3 lakh people daily for the next 10 days.
Karnataka is also targeting to inoculate around 7 lakh people today, in a boost to its vaccination drive.
On Sunday, the centre said more than 29.10 crore (29,10,54,050) vaccine doses have been provided to all the states so far, free-of-cost and through the direct state procurement category. It said more than 3.06 crore vaccine doses are still available with the states while around 24,53,080 vaccine doses will be given to the states within the next three days.
Before the centre’s takeover, it was the responsibility of state governments to procure and administer 50 per cent of the vaccines for citizens between the ages of 18 to 45. The centre supplied free vaccines to only people aged 45 and above earlier.
India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 28 crore on Sunday with 28,00,36,898 doses being administered through 38,24,408 sessions, as per the provisional report of the health ministry on Monday.
The union home minister Amit Shah said the central government had decided to increase the pace of vaccination in July and August.
Talking to reporters after visiting a vaccination centre, Shah said with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to provide free vaccine to people aged 18 and above, “we will fast achieve the goal of inoculating almost everyone..
“The central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination in July and August,” he added. Shah said from Monday morning, an important journey has started in the fight against Covid-19 under the leadership of the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has decided not to hold the local body polls till at least 70 per cent of the people in the state were vaccinated, the Maharashtra rural development minister Hasan Mushrif said.
In Bihar, the chief minister Nitish Kumar announced that from June 23 to July 6 all government and private offices would operate with full staffing, shops would remain open till 7 pm and night curfew would be imposed from 9 pm to 5 am. Parks and gardens would open between 6 am and noon, the chief minister said on Twitter while emphasising that the need to remain cautious continues.
