CM salutes scientists and docs for vaccine approval
New Delhi: As Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal welcomed the approval granted to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Serum Institutes' Covidshield, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that the Delhi government is fully prepared to begin the inoculation programme against COVID-19 and was read to begin the moment the vaccines arrived.
CM Kejriwal said that the emergency use authorisation granted to the two "made in India '' vaccines will give a "positive direction to the country's fight against corona".
Congratulating the countrymen, Kejriwal saluted the scientists and doctors for the achievement.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Sunday approved Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, manufactured by the Serum Institute, and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech for restricted emergency use in the country.
"Congratulations to all the countrymen. Approval by DCGI to emergency use of two made in India vaccines will give a positive direction to the country's fight against corona. Salute to the scientists and doctors whose hard work helped us reach here," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.
Interacting with reporters, the health minister said, in the first phase, about 3 lakh healthcare workers and nearly 6 lakh frontline workers, totalling about 9 lakh, will get the vaccine.
"Drug Controller General of India has approved emergency use of two vaccines. Many congratulations to scientists and researchers who worked day and night to make this possible," Jain said.
"We are all ready with our preparations, from storage to logistics, and yesterday, a dry run was conducted at three sites to assess the preparedness for the vaccination roll-out. Vaccination can begin, soon as the vaccine arrives in Delhi, which we expect in a few days," he said.
He also said that for the roll-out of the vaccine — in the first phase — 500-600 vaccination centres will be made, which the Delhi government has the capacity to increase to 1,000 if and when required.
Delhi recorded 424 fresh COVID-19 cases, the lowest in over seven months, and 14 new fatalities on Sunday, even as the positivity rate slipped to 0.62 per cent, authorities said.
The infection tally in the city stands at over 6.26 lakh and death toll rose to 10,585, they said.
Delhi had recorded 494 cases on Saturday while the positivity rate had stood at 0.73 per cent.
Jain on Saturday had tweeted that the positivity rate had been below one per cent for the past 11 days, and fresh cases were the lowest since May 17.
"So, the COVID-19 situation is significantly under control, and we thank people of Delhi for their cooperation, they must continue to wear masks and take precautions," he said on Sunday.
