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The Centre has directed the Uttarakhand government to follow strict Covid-19 spread prevention measures during the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Lakhs of pilgrims are expected to visit the state for the event. According to a report in NDTV, the directions were sent after a high-level team which travelled to Uttarakhand state raised concerns after reviewing medical care and public health arrangements for the Kumbh Mela. Now the state government has been told by the union Health Ministry “to increase the number of Covid testing as per the ICMR guidelines to ensure that the pilgrims and local population is appropriately tested”.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to the Uttarakhand Chief Secretary, recommending “periodic testing of frontline workers before and after auspicious snan, effective risk communication, enhanced testing in potential high transmission areas” among other measures. He has noted that pilgrims could arrive from any of the states which are currently recording a surge in Covid cases, and that there “is a potential of an upsurge in cases in the local population after the auspicious Shahi Snan days during the Kumbh Mela.” According to the news report, it was also reported by the central team, that “10-20 pilgrims and 10-20 locals are being reported positive every day. This positivity rate has the potential to rapidly turning to an upsurge in cases, given the expected large footfall during Kumbh.” Meanwhile, Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat, announced that he too had tested Covid-19 positive.
मेरी कोरोना टेस्ट रिपोर्ट पॉजिटिव आई है। मैं ठीक हूँ और मुझे कोई परेशानी नहीं है । डॉक्टर्स की निगरानी में मैंने स्वयं को आइसोलेट कर लिया है ।आप में से जो भी लोग गत कुछ दिनों में मेरे निकट संपर्क में आयें हैं, कृपया सावधानी बरतें और अपनी जाँच करवाएं।
— Tirath Singh Rawat (@TIRATHSRAWAT) March 22, 2021
He had recently announced a relaxation Covid-19 restrictions in the state. Rawat had said that the pilgrims visiting the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar do not have to carry Covid-19 negative RT-PCR reports. Rawat also said, he “asked the secretary to respect akharas, shower flowers on them by helicopters, but also let the public come.”
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had also tested positive for Covid-19 on March 19, and was admitted to AIIMS Covid Centre in Delhi for observation.
India recorded 46,951 new cases in the last 24 hours.
According to information shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), India recorded 46,951 new cases in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh together account for 84.49% of the total new cases registered in the last 24 hours stated the MoHFW. This marks a four-month high and is the highest surge noted so far this year. According to MoHFW, the nationwide tally now stands at 1,16,46,081, Covid-19 cases. India’s total Active Caseload has reached 3,34,646.
Centre says Covishield Second Dose Gap To Be Increased Up To 8 Weeks
A new Covid-19 vaccination related instruction has been issued by the Centre, now recommending that the gap between the two doses of the Covishield vaccine be increased to six-to-eight weeks for better results. It was earlier 28 days, now the Centre has sent fresh instructions to all states and Union Territories. This comes in the middle of round two of nationwide vaccinations, in which people above 60 and those over 45 with co-morbidities are being inoculated. The revised interval applies only to Serum Institute of India’s Covishield – the vaccine developed by Oxford AstraZeneca.
According to the ministry, the recommendation has been made after a “revisit” on the 28-day gap done by “National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and subsequently by National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) in its 20th meeting” which then recommended that the second of Covishield be given “at 4-8 weeks’ interval after the 1st dose, instead of earlier practiced interval of 4-6 weeks. This decision of revised time interval between two doses is applicable ONLY to Covishield and NOT to Covaxin Vaccine, stated the letter written by the Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to the Chief Secretaries of States/UTs on Monday, March 22. According to the ministry, “Keeping the existing scientific evidence in view, it appears that protection is enhanced if the second dose of COVISHIELD is administered between 6-8 weeks, but not later than stipulated period of 8 weeks.” The vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16, and over 4.50 crore vaccine doses have been given across the country since then.
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