VIJAYAWADA: The State Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday, approved imposition of partial curfew across the State for 14 days from Wednesday. The decision was taken in view of the spurt in Covid-19 cases. Already night curfew (10 pm to 6 am) has been in force from April 24. Now, the duration of the curfew has been extended. Curfew will be enforced from 12 noon to 6 am. Except for essential services, all others, including APSRTC services will be suspended from 12 noon. Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) appealed to the general public not to venture out after 12 noon except for medical services.
“For next two weeks, the entire State will be in self-isolation. All activities should be completed between 6 am and 12 noon,” he said, adding that this is an important step to curb the spread of Covid infection and save lives.
Later in the evening, an order was issued formally clamping down the curfew and listing essential services that are exempted. Both print and electronic media, telecommunications, internet services, broadcasting services, IT and IT-enabled services, fuel stations, energy services, water supply and sanitation are exempted from curfew.
All manufacturing industries will be operating following Covid protocol and all agricultural operations, including procurement of agricultural produce, are exempted with a rider that they should follow Covid protocol. Another important decision taken was to vaccinate people aged above 45 in a saturation mode before taking up vaccination of 18-44 age group. The vaccines to be procured as suggested by the Centre for 18- 44 age group by the State will be used for completing the vaccination for 45+ age group along with the vaccine doses provided by the Centre.
The minister said a very limited quantity of vaccine is being sent to the State and under the given circumstances, the government has decided to vaccinate 45+ on priority basis before taking up vaccination of other categories. Describing the Centre’s decision to vaccinate the 18-44 age group even before completing the vaccination for the 45+ group as ‘thoughtless’, the minister said those in the 45+ age group are more vulnerable.
“Further, the Centre wants the States to procure the vaccine themselves for the 18-44 age group while using the vaccine doses supplied by it to only to those above 45. The availability of the vaccine for sale to the States is also rationed. The Centre should leave the decision as to whom to vaccinate first and in what order to the States. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy will be writing a letter to the Centre explaining the State’s decision and pointing out the shortage of vaccine,” Nani explained.
For the first fortnight of May, the Centre had allocated 6,90,360 doses of Covidshield and 2,27,490 doses of Covaxin to AP.
On Tuesday, the State received a fresh consignment of five lakh doses of Covishield from Serum Institute. A special drive will be conducted across the State to administer the second dose, he said.
“After administering the second dose, the balance quantity will be used for the first dose for ‘most vulnerable’ categories among 45+ age group like RTC crew, bank staff and those who are in contact with public more,” Principal Secretary (Health) Anil Kumar Singhal said at a separate press conference.
Singhal said the State Cabinet resolved to construct 176 new PHCs in the same number of mandals, including seven tribal mandals, by spending Rs 346 crore. “By 12 noon on Tuesday, out of 6,319 ICU beds, 5,743 got filled. Out of a total 21,858 oxygen beds, 20,108 beds got filled by noon and the rest are expected to be filled by evening. The number of admissions to Covid Care Centres is also increasing and by Tuesday afternoon, 12,412 patients were admitted to 85 Covid Care Centres in the State,” he said.
Nod to procure vaccine
State Cabinet has given the nod to APMSIDC to procure 9.91 lakh Covishield vaccine doses from Serum Institute of India , Pune and 3.43 lakh Covaxin doses from Bharat Biotech International Limited Hyderabad
