The ambitious ‘vaccination festival’ remained a non-starter on Monday even as two more persons succumbed to the infection in SPSR Nellore district taking the death toll in South Coastal region to 1,112.
No person was vaccinated on the second day of the ‘Tika Utsav’ following delay in replenishment of vaccine stocks by the Centre.
The health authorities had zero vaccine stocks on Monday when the number of active cases shot up to 3,353 in the districts of SPSR Nellore and Prakasam.
Reviewing the health situation with Praksam district officials along with Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, State Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy said the Centre had promised to provide enough doses to the State by Monday night or Tuesday morning.
Minister allays fears
Allaying the fears of the people who are awaiting their turn to take the jab, the Minister said vaccination would be a continuous process and all persons above aged above 45 would be covered on a saturation basis.
“The drive will be undertaken vigorously from April 14 by setting up session sites in all the village secretariats,” said Prakasam District Collector P. Bhaskar.
‘Stocks latest by Tuesday’
Prakasam District Medical and Health Officer P. Ratnavalli said the district administration expected 50,000 to 60,000 doses of vaccine latest by Tuesday.
Taking note of the spurt in new cases, she said while those with mild symptoms would be put in home isolation, those experiencing severe symptoms would be hospitalised.
As many as 352 persons tested positive for the disease in the region in a span of 24 hours. While SPSR Nellore district accounted for 1,848 active cases, Prakasam accounted for 1,305 cases, according to a health bulletin released by the State government. With two deaths, the toll rose to 525 in SPSR Nellore district. With zero deaths, the toll remained static at 589 in Prakasam district.
Meanwhile, the officials exhorted Muslim religious heads to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 protocol during the austerities to be followed during the holy month of ‘Ramadan’ from April 15.
