Shimla: With the arrival of the second installment of the vaccine from Serum Institute of India, Himachal Pradesh government has decided to resume vaccination drive but will have a restricted four days a week sessions for 45-year plus category and two only sessions for 18-44 year groups.
The drive was suspended as the state had already exhausted the entire stock of the doses last week.
Dr Nipun Jindal, Director National Health Mission (NHM), said the vaccination of 45 years of age and priority groups including frontline warriors and health workers will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Monday and Thursday will be reserved for the 18-44 years age group.
"The cutoff date for vaccination of the age group of 45 years and above along with HCW, FLW and prioritised groups has been fixed to June 19. The persons of the concerned categories may get themselves vaccinated with the first dose before the deadline.
Follow-up of second due dose shall be taken up at the district and sub district level based on second dose due and second dose due alert report derived from CoWIN.
The sessions for 18-44 years of age shall be held on June 14 and June 17. Vaccine allocation has been made to the districts based on the population proportion of 18-44 years.
The vaccine flow would be maintained as per mechanism already established in the state for the districts.
State's Chief secretary Anil Khachi said the Corona position in the state is on decline but the government was keeping a close watch on active cases, whose number is still nearly 7000.
"There is a significant drop in the cases to 554 (as on Wednesday) against 921 on June 1. The number of deaths has also come down to upto 13 as on Tuesday against 38 on June 1. Yet, we can't feel complacent as a large number of people were still in infection," he said.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said there is a demand coming from various sections to relax restrictions including public transport and people's mobility to the state. The government will take a call on it when the cabinet meeting is held on June 11.
"I feel the restrictions will slowly be relaxed but a larger reasonability will be of the citizens to follow Covid appropriate behaviour as some families have already gone through a very tough time and suffered losses," he said.
In a tragic incident, a 70-year-old man died within hours after the death of his 50-year-old son due to Covid in Shimla's IGMC hospital.