India’s COVID vaccination coverage crosses 94-lakh mark

at 1:42 pm
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New Delhi (NVI): India has become the third topmost country globally with the highest vaccination numbers, after USA and the UK, with cumulative vaccination coverage to healthcare and frontline workers against COVID-19 crossing 94 lakhs in the country.

“As on February 18, till 8:00 am, the cumulative vaccination coverage to healthcare workers (HCWs) and frontline workers (FLWs) against COVID-19 in India has crossed 94 lakhs,” the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.

As many as 94,22,228 vaccine doses have been given to beneficiaries through 1,99,305 sessions. These include 61,96,641 HCWs (1st dose), 3,69,167 HCWs (2nd dose) and 28,56,420 FLWs (1st dose).

The second dose of COVID-19 vaccination started on February 13 for those beneficiaries who have completed 28 days after receipt of the 1st dose. The vaccination of the FLWs started from February 2.

Moreover, as on Day-33 of the vaccination drive, total 4,22,998 vaccine doses were given across 7,932 sessions. Out of which, 3,30,208 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 92,790 received the 2nd dose of vaccine, the ministry said.

It added that, “58.20 per cent of those who have received the second dose are concentrated in 7 States. Karnataka alone accounts for 14.74 per cent.”

Meanwhile, moving ahead on the COVID-19 trajectory, India’s cumulative recoveries show a progressive increment on a daily basis and stands at 1.06 crore (1,06,56,845). With this, the recovery rate further improved to 97.32 per cent. The rising recoveries along with contained daily deaths have ensured a sustained fall in the active caseload.

Apart from this, 16 States and Union Territories have not reported any COVID-19 deaths in the last 24 hours and only 1 state has recorded more than 20 deaths during the same period, the ministry noted.

The states with no deaths reported are Delhi, Odisha, J&K (UT), Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Ladakh (UT), Nagaland, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Tripura, Daman & Diu and D&N, Arunachal Pradesh.

Furthermore, the country’s present active cases (1,37,342) constitute just 1.25 per cent of the total positive cases. 11,987 patients have recovered and discharged in the past 24 hours.

The daily positivity rate has also seen a constant decline in last 7 days. From 1.89 per cent on February 1, it has dropped to 1.69 per cent as on February 18, the ministry said, adding that, “Kerala and Maharashtra alone account for 75 per cent of new cases, 72 per cent of new recovered cases and 55 per cent of new deaths.”

About 85.14 per cent the new recovered cases are observed to be concentrated in 6 States. Out of these, Kerala has reported the maximum number of single day recoveries with 4,832 cases. 3,853 people recovered in Maharashtra in the past 24 hours followed by 537 in Karnataka, the statement added.

-RJV