Curb spike in COVID-19 cases, Centre tells 4 states; second country-wide vaccination dry run today

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday held a virtual meeting with state health ministers and other officials to review preparedness for the second countrywide vaccination mock drill scheduled for today and sought their keen oversight and personal indulgence to lead the exercise. Vardhan asks health ministers to counter vaccine disinformation In Thursday’s meeting through video conference to review preparedness for the dry run, Vardhan sought keen oversight and personal indulgence of health ministers, principal secretaries and additional chief secretaries of states and union territories to lead the dry run, said a health ministry statement. @PMOIndia @MoHFW_INDIA pic.twitter.com/S5KEbGd8EQ — Dr Harsh Vardhan January 7, 2021 Speaking to reporters after attending the VC, Karnataka health minister K Sudhakar said the COVID-19 vaccination dry run will be conducted at a total of 263 different health facilities across the state. Centre asks states to prepare to receive first supply of vaccines In a communique, Dr Pradeep Halder, advisor, Reproductive and Child Health in the health ministry, has said, “All the states and UTs are likely to receive the first supply of COVID-19 vaccine shortly.In this regard, you are requested to ensure the advance preparation and readiness for the acceptance of forthcoming supply of the vaccine.” The letter states that the vaccine will be supplied to the identified consignee points of 19 states and UTs — Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal —by the supplier. ‘Laxity may squander results’ Also on Thursday, the health ministry said Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to health secretaries of West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, and Chhattisgarh to draw their attention “to the low and declining testing rates in the states, stating that any laxity at this crucial junction may squander the results of our collective actions in containing the transmission”, according to a health ministry statement.