Andhra Pradesh to hold COVID vaccination drive for people below 45 on Sunday

Principal secretary (health) AK Singhal said that 1,22,83,479 doses had been administered so far - 26,41,000 people were given both the doses and 71 lakh others were given only one.
Representational image (Photo | PTI)
Representational image (Photo | PTI)

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh will organise a special COVID vaccination drive on Sunday for mothers of children aged below five years and groups below the age of 45, said principal secretary (health) AK Singhal.

Speaking to mediapersons on Friday, he said that the state has already shown its potential to administer COVID vaccines to more than six lakh people in a day in April. The state has received around 11 lakh doses of vaccines as it prepares to hold a similar drive this weekend, he added. 

Singhal said that 1,22,83,479 doses had been administered so far - 26,41,000 people were given both the doses and 71 lakh others were given only one. In June, 2.66 lakh people are to be administered Covaxin second dose, and 2.10 lakh others Covishield second dose. "Out of 18.70 lakh mothers of children aged below five, vaccination has begun for 5.29 lakh," he said.

Asserting that COVID cases are decreasing in the state, Singhal said out of 15,000 village/ward secretariats, 4,582 reported no cases, 2,887 one case each, and 2,042 two cases each on Friday.  "Altogether, 9,500 village/ward secretariats saw less than two Covid cases each. The number of villages/wards that reported more than ten cases is 900. Special focus will be on these 900 villages and wards to curb the spread of coronavirus," he explained. 

According to him, the authorities have also analysed city-wise active cases: Visakhapantam has an active caseload of 1,168, followed by 594 in Rajamahendravaram. "A report of the analysis is being sent to the district collectors for better monitoring of the situation. There has been a decrease in the active cases, and the positivity rate too has fallen below six per cent. The number of calls being received by '104' call centre too has decreased," he said.

"In 24 hours, 1,648 calls were made to the facility, of which only 176 were related to hospital admission. There was a time when calls for hospital admission crossed four thousand. Though incoming calls have decreased, tele-counselling to those in home isolation by doctors continues to be high. In the last 24 hours, 21,598 tele-counselling calls were made," he added.

Singhal said as a preparation for the possible third wave, the oxygen supply network had been strengthened with Rs 267.08 crores. Out of 12,187 oxygen concentrator orders, 4,175 were received and the remaining are expected by the first week of next month.

He said 10,000 D-type cylinders are expected. Besides setting up 113 oxygen plants for which tenders have been finalised, the government has sanctioned 28. They are expected to be received by August last week. "As per the directions of the CM, 6,151 oxygen beds at Rs 49.31 crore will be brought into use in the next three months," he said. 

The principal secretary (health) said 124 children who lost both their parents to Covid were identified and Rs 10 lakh had been deposited in the name of 86 children. The remaining will get the assistance by Monday. 

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