Need to increase the pace of vaccinations: Centre to states
21,300; while the weekly positivity has also increased from 4.7 per cent to 8 per cent.
The areas of concern are the Mumbai suburban areas where the weekly cases have risen by 19 per cent. In Nagpur, Amravati, Nashik, Akola and Yavatmal the weekly cases have increased by 33 per cent, 47 per cent, 23 per cent, 55 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively, the ministry underscored.
Punjab is rapidly assuming critical dimension in respect of the spread of Covid-19 infection, the ministry highlighted adding in the last four weeks, the weekly positivity rate in the state has increased from 1.4 per cent to 1.6 per cent, while the weekly cases in the last four weeks have seen a rise from 1300 to 1682.
In one district of SBS Nagar alone, the weekly positivity rate has become 4.9 per cent from 3.5 per cent and the weekly cases have more than doubled from 165 to 364. was no allocation of funds under the MLA Local Area Development fund,” he said.
Four Congress Mlas--including ex-ministers A Namassivayam (now in BJP) and Malladi Krishna Rao had quit, while another party legislator was earlier disqualified.
Narayanasamy’s confidante A John Kumar had resigned this week.
Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, handed over additional charge of Puducherry, had on Thursday directed Narayanasamy to prove majority by ordering a floor test on February 22.
The resignation of two MLAS’ comes on a day when the ruling party members are slated to meet under the CM to discuss the future course of action, though similar discussions on February 18 yielded no results.
NEW DELHI The Union Health Ministry has written to all states and UTS highlighting the need to significantly enhance the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations, noting that a large number of healthcare and frontline workers still remain to be covered. In a letter addressed to chief secretaries of all states and UTS, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the number of days of vaccination in a week should also be increased to a minimum of four days per week at the earliest to speed up the process of vaccination and gear up system to take up the vaccination of the 50+ population.
While some states are carrying out vaccination twice a week some others are carrying out more than that.
Adequate provisions have been made in the CO-WIN software to support such expansion of services, he said. The letter dated February 19 stated a large number of healthcare and frontline workers still remain to be covered and the progress is variable across several states and UTS. “As highlighted during several review meetings that have been conducted with the states and UTS, the pace of vaccination drive and its coverage needs to be accelerated exponentially to cover all identified beneficiaries in a minimum possible time. “Further, the operational strategy for initiating the vaccination of next priority group of elderly population and persons with comorbidities to be taken up in March, 2021 is also being finalised,” the letter said. “In view of the anticipated high number of beneficiaries to be vaccinated at a high speed in the forthcoming days”, Bhushan advised states and UTS to ensure that all public health facilities from tertiary level medical colleges, hospitals and institutes to district hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals, community health centres, PHCS, health and wellness centres, health sub-centres etc. should be prepared for offering COVID-19 vaccination services on all designated vaccination days beginning March 1.
THE RESIGNATIONS HAVE REDUCED THE STRENGTH OF RULING ALLIANCE TO 11, WHILE OPPN HAS 14 MLAS IN 33MEMBER ASSEMBLY