MP becomes third BJP ruled state to announce free COVID-19 vaccine for all adults

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said if COVID-19 is to be curbed, then the chain of its infection must be broken and for this, people need to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Photo | PTI)
Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Photo | PTI)

MP announces free rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to those aged above 18 years, even before the centre is to formulate detailed guidelines  

Express News Service

BHOPAL: While the Centre is yet to come out with the detailed guidelines for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to those aged above 18 years, Madhya Pradesh has announced to administer vaccines to all of them free of cost, just like it has done for others.

“The Prime Minister has announced a big relaxation to the country by opening the gates for vaccinating those above 18 years. The Centre is yet to formulate detailed guidelines for its rollout, but the vaccines will be administered to all those aged above 18 free of cost, just as it has been done for others in the past,” MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Wednesday.

While chairing an emergency meeting of the state cabinet in Bhopal amid the continued surge in COVID-19 cases, the CM also distributed among his minister colleagues various functions related to Covid  control and associated matters in the state.

The CM also reiterated his decision to provide three months free ration to all poor people in the state, besides ensuring livelihood and food for migrant labourers in the state .

Amid reports of oxygen cylinders being looted by relatives of COVID-19 patients in Damoh district, the CM said four air separation plants to supply Oxygen through central government assistance have already been started at district hospitals in Khandwa, Shivpuri, Ujjain, Seoni, while another plant will start operations in Jabalpur district within a day.

Three other plants are also likely to start operations in Ratlam, Mandsaur and Morena districts within a day or two, the CM announced.

Further, the Indian Oil’s refinery in Bina town of Sagar has decided to supply Oxygen to the state. To ensure that there is no need for Oxygen transportation, the refinery is in the process of starting a 1000 beds hospital near their plant, which will be supplied with the Oxygen.

Meanwhile, the CM has said that district collectors will be ranked on the basis of the positivity rate of districts of corona infection.

The CM virtually addressing collectors from his residence has instucted that effective implementation of Janata curfew should be ensured in all districts till April 30, Kill Corona Campaign-2 should be launched in severely affected districts, every effort should be made to improve the arrangements of Home Isolation and Covid Care Centers.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 surge remained uncontrolled, as the state reported 13,107 new cases over the last 24 hours at day’s positivity rate of 24%, taking the total active cases to 82,268. While 75 deaths were officially reported during the same period, as many 9035 patients also recovered from the viral infection.

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