VIJAYAWADA: Vaccination against Covid-19 has gained momentum with the state including mothers of children below five years of age, and students going abroad for education in the drive. So far, 1,28,824 such persons, irrespective of their age, have been given their first jabs.
Disclosing the details to mediapersons on Friday, Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal said 1,13,76,000 vaccine doses had been distributed so far. As many as 26.04 lakh people—including 18.94 lakh aged 45 and above—had been given the jabs twice, while 61.67 lakh others, among whom 52.52 lakh are in the 45+ age category--were given single dose. “53.07 per cent of people in the 45+ category have been administered at least one dose. By June end, 47,50,000 doses of Covid vaccines will be available in the state,” he added.
Stating that Covid cases were coming down, he said, “Active cases have fallen to 96,100 from around 2,11,000 twenty-five days ago.” The positivity rate on Friday stood at 8.09 per cent from 8.29 per cent a day ago.At present 15,951 Covid patients are undergoing treatment at hospitals, and 8,963 others in Covid care centres; 71,186 are in home isolation. “In the last 24 hours, ‘104’ call centres called 20,500 Covid patients in home isolation, and received only 2,592 calls, out of which 319 were regarding hospital admissions,” he explained.
Singhal said with the decrease in Covid cases, the availability of ICU and oxygen beds has increased. At the peak of the second wave, 625 hospitals provided treatment and now it has been scaled down to 454 hospitals. As of date, 2,231 ICU beds and 10,447 oxygen beds are available across the state. “Requirement of oxygen has also decreased, and only 423 metric tonnes of oxygen werelifted in the last 24 hours against the allocation of 590 MTs. During the peak, 650 MTs were lifted per day.”
Black fungus cases
The principal secretary (health) said black fungus cases are also decreasing. The state has 1,307 active cases of the infection as of Friday; 138 people have died from it, he said and dismissed the reports that the facts of black fungus cases were kept hidden, saying that the government does not have any such motive.
“If we resort to such methods, how can we get Amphotericin B injections from the Centre? There is no need for us to hide the facts and there is no need for us to compare ourselves with other states. We are disclosing the facts, be it regarding Covid or black fungus.”