Registering a spike in daily Covid-19 cases, India reported 41,806 new cases on Thursday, even as vaccine politics continued unabated between the Centre and states. While on 14 July, India recorded close to 39,000 fresh cases, the trajectory took an upward swing on Thursday. As per data shared by Union Health Ministry, India’s active caseload now stands at 432,041 and active cases now constitute 1.39% of the country’s total positive cases.
In a bid to deflect growing criticism over plummeting vaccination numbers, the central government said more than 40.31 crore (40,31,74,380) vaccine doses have been provided to states/UTs so far, through all sources and a further 83,85,790 doses are in the pipeline. The Health Ministry, in a statement, added that more than 1.92 crore (1,92,71,766) balance and unutilized Covid vaccine doses are still available with the states/UTs and private hospitals to be administered.
India’s cumulative covid vaccination coverage surpassed 39.49 crore (394978565), as per the 7 pm provisional report on Thursday as more than 35.15 lakh (35,15,093) vaccine doses were administered yesterday. 16,59,977 vaccine doses were administered as first dose and 1,61,950 vaccine doses given as second dose in the age group 18-44 years today. Cumulatively, 11,97,36,449 persons in the age group 18-44 years across 37 states/UTs have received their first dose and total 43,72,202 have received their second dose since the start of phase-3 of the vaccination drive.
The response from the Health ministry came in the backdrop of soaring complains of states/UTs about vaccine shortage. The principal opposition party, Congress, slammed Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya over the issue. Taking to Twitter, former finance Minister P. Chidambaram said on Thursday, “New health minister @mansukhmandviya is following the same path as his predecessor. It is a pity. State after state is complaining of a vaccine shortage. Vaccination centers have ‘no vaccine’ boards. People standing in line have to return home after the vaccination centres run out of vaccines.”
Earlier, several Chief Ministers namely Arvind Kejriwal, Ashok Gehlot, Hemant Soren and Uddhav Thackrey had blamed the Central government for not providing enough vaccines for eligible population. Meanwhile, Union Health Ministry reviewed preparations under the recently approved Rs 23,123 crore “India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package: Phase II” with Health Secretaries and senior officials of all States/UTs, through a video conference (VC) on Thursday.
Amidst growing apprehensions over a third wave affecting children, requirement for scaling up testing capacity, additional beds, including for paediatric care and makeshift hospitals, in sub-district levels was highlighted during the meeting. Apart from this, ways to ensure availability of critical drugs, testing kits and PPEs along with enhancing oxygen availability and strengthen home and village/ community isolation centres/ Covid care centres were also discussed comprehensively.
Meanwhile, Dr Samiran Panda, Head of Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research, has said that India is likely to be hit by the third wave of Covid-19 at the end of August, although the intensity will be a little lesser than the second wave. An NDTV report quoted Dr Panda as saying, “There would be a nationwide third wave, but that does not mean that it would be as high or as intense as the second wave.”
Dr Panda pointed out four factors that could lead to the third wave. The first is the drop in immunity acquired from the first and second wave. “If that goes down, it could lead to a third wave,” he said. The second factor, according to him, is a new variant that can bypass the immunity acquired. Even if the variant does not bypass immunity, it might have a tendency to circulate faster, which he presented as the third factor. The fourth factor is the premature lifting of restrictions by states, leading to a fresh surge, Dr Panda said. Asked if the variant involved could be Delta Plus, he said both Delta and Delta Plus have swept the country and added that he was not expecting any more public health havoc from the Delta variant.
Earlier this week, the Indian Medical Association (IMD) said that the third wave is “inevitable and imminent”, pointing out that “in many parts of the country both the government and public are complacent and engaged in mass gatherings without following Covid protocols”.
Earlier today, the World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the world is in the “early stages” of the third wave of Covid-19, driven by the Delta variant of the virus.
WITH AGENCY INPUTS