Centre directs five states to expedite COVID-19 vaccination of health care and front line workers

The Central government has directed five states including a Union Territory -- Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chattisgarh to expedite the vaccination of Health Care Workers (HCWs) and Front Line Workers (FLWs) so as to confer immunity in the shortest possible time frame in the wake of a rising trend of COVID-19 cases and positively rate being observed in some districts in the last few days.

In a letter to the Maharashtra government, Dr Manohar Agn, Additional Secretary, "The rising trend of COVID-19 cases and positivity rate has been observed in six districts-- Pune, Nagpur, Mumbai, Suburban, Amravati, Thane, and Akola over the past few days."

Likewise, in a letter to the Madhya Pradesh government, he said, "a surge in cases and positivity rate has been observed in three districts-- Indore, Bhopal, and Betul."

In a letter to the Punjab government, Agn said that an increase in COVID-19 cases and positivity rate has been observed in three districts-- SBS Nagar, Kapurthala, and Shri Muktsar Sahib while the same has been witnessed in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir and Rajnandgaon district of Chhattisgarh.

"Hence, it is advised that the vaccination of HCWs and FLWs in these districts is expedited so as to confer immunity in the shortest possible time-frame, as they are also involved in containment, surveillance and management of COVID-19 cases.

"You are requested to kindly direct the district officials concerned to immediately undertake measures for the maximum coverage of HCWs and FLWs with the COVID-19 vaccine at the earliest," the letter stated.

( With inputs from ANI )