New Delhi: Amid the COVID-19 vaccine shortage being reported from various parts of the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised the states to prevent vaccine wastage.
"There is an issue of vaccine wastage. Wasting even a single dose means not being able to give a shield to a life. It is important to stop vaccine wastage. Health Ministry is providing information to the states regarding vaccines for 15 days. Vaccine supply will help you in managing vaccination timelines," he said.
Interacting with the district magistrates (DMs) and field officials of 10 States regarding the COVID-19 situation on the ground, PM Modi informed that Health Ministry is providing information to the states regarding vaccines for 15 days which will help the officials to manage the vaccination timeline.
Earlier this month, PM Modi had praised the Kerala government's efforts in reducing vaccine wastage and said that it is important in strengthening the fight against COVID-19.
Meanwhile, with 2,76,110 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's tally of COVID-19 cases climbed to 2,57,72,440 while the daily deaths were recorded below 4,000 after four days, taking the count to 2,87,122, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
A total of 3,874 fatalities due to COVID-19 were registered in a span of 24 hours.
The active cases have further reduced to 31,29,878, comprising 12.14 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has improved to 86.74 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 2,23,55,440, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.11 per cent, the data stated.
India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.
It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.
India crossed the grim milestone of 2 crore on May 4.
Here are the Live Updates on India Coronavirus (Covid-19 Cases) Cases:
May 21, 2021 05:31 (IST)
Covaxin Production To Be Scaled Up By Additional 200 Million Doses
Bharat Biotech on Thursday said it's planning to ramp up the manufacturing capacity of its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, by an additional 200 million doses per year. The announcement, which comes amid several states complaining of vaccine shortage, effectively takes the total volume of doses to nearly a billion per year, the vaccine maker said in a statement.
The vaccine maker has ramped up the manufacturing capacity at its subsidiary's Ankleshwar-based facility in Gujarat.
"The company plans to produce 200 million doses of Covaxin per year in its GMP facilities that are already operational for the production of vaccines based on Inactivated Vero Cell Platform Technology, under stringent levels of GMP and biosafety," Bharat Biotech said.
May 21, 2021 03:07 (IST)
RT-PCR Share Cut, "Gold Standard" Becomes "Standard" In Centre's U-Turn
RT-PCR tests - widely believed to be the most accurate method to detect COVID-19 - will be cut to 40 per cent of total tests by the end of next month, far from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan to raise it to 70 per cent, the government announced on Thursday.
Instead, the government will depend up to 60 per cent on the less reliable antigen tests - in a significant departure from its earlier target - as it aims to double its testing capacity to 45 lakh per day by June end.
The announcement comes just two months after PM Modi advised states that RT-PCR should be 70 per cent of all tests and said there was "no pressure" if positive numbers were high.
Inexplicably, the government also pared down its stated RT-PCR testing capacity to 12-13 lakh-a-day - from around 16 lakh last week.
May 20, 2021 22:17 (IST)
All adults in France eligible for Covid jabs from May 31:
All adults in France will be eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations starting May 31, two weeks earlier than initially planned, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Thursday.
Castex added that the shots would be made available a week earlier -- on May 24 -- to people in "priority professions", including teachers, police officers, bus drivers and supermarket checkout workers.
May 20, 2021 15:11 (IST)
JUST IN: Delhi records 3,231 fresh COVID-19 cases, lowest since April 1, 233 deaths in 24 hours; positivity rate falls to 5.5%.
May 20, 2021 14:52 (IST)
After the vaccine quantity, and safety data are available for children, vaccines will be administered. We can't be lagging behind for children's protection. We don't have to let the third wave come in: Dr Naveet Wig, HoD of Medicine and Chairperson COVID-19 task force AIIMS.
May 20, 2021 12:40 (IST)
Our scientists are working day and night to ensure that we keep a track on the virus and all its mutations. Scientists are also working round-the-clock to ensure vaccines are being manufactured at a brisk pace. There is however, an issue of vaccine wastage. When the vaccines are delivered to you all, we must ensure that there is no vaccine wastage. You all must monitor this in both urban and rural areas. Stopping vaccine wastage is critical and you all must ensure that we don't have any wastage.
May 20, 2021 12:37 (IST)
It is only through the feedback that each one of you send, do we find practical solutions, and only on the basis of that effective policies can be made. So your feedback is extremely important. You all will see an increased supply in vaccines very soon and this will help you all greatly.
