A health worker inoculates a person with a dose of Covid-19 vaccine at a public health centre in India’s Bengaluru on 7 July, 2021
(AFP via Getty Images)
The Indian government has approved a Covid-19 emergency response package for improving the healthcare system in the country amid concerns over a third wave of the pandemic.
India’s new health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that the package has been approved with the aim of preventing the problems seen during the second wave of Covid-19.
The second wave brought the healthcare system to its knees as infections and deaths surged. Hospitals ran out of medical oxygen and were forced to turn patients away in large numbers due to a shortage of beds.
Mr Mandaviya said around 20,000 ICU beds would be created, out of which 20 per cent would be for children. The number of ambulances will be increased, and storage facilities for oxygen would be created.
Meanwhile, South Korea has announced that restrictions in Seoul and some neighbouring regions will be raised to the highest level for two weeks as the number of Covid-19 cases surged.
US officials have said that infections are up around 11 per cent over the previous week, almost entirely among people who have not been vaccinated.
Indonesia, Thailand consider booster shots amid concerns over Chinese vaccines
Indonesia and Thailand are considering giving a booster shot to their healthcare workers who have been inoculated with China’s Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine.
This comes amid concerns that Chinese vaccines may not be as effective against new variants of Covid-19.
There is no detailed data yet on the Sinovac’s effectiveness against the Delta variant which was first identified in India. Reuters said some real world data showed the vaccine is effective against hospitalisation and severe Covid-19 cases.
Thousands of Indonesian healthcare workers fully vaccinated with Sinovac have tested positive for Covid-19 and at least 10 of them died last month.
Akshita Jain9 July 2021 06:40
People break barricades at vaccine centre due to shortage in Indian state
At a vaccination site in the Indian state of Odisha, people reportedly broke barricades after waiting in long queues to get inoculated.
Medical officer Aditya Prasad Sahu said that vaccine stocks were not sufficient and people are turning violent due to frustration at the shortage.
He said people from the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh have also been coming to the centre to get vaccinated.
Akshita Jain9 July 2021 06:10
India to begin vaccinating those in 12 to 18 age group from September
India has said it will begin inoculating those between the age of 12 and 18 years by September with a domestic Covid-19 vaccine by Zydus.
Dr NK Arora, who heads the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration, told NDTV that emergency use authorisation for the Zydus vaccine will come within weeks.
Zydus has applied for emergency use approval of its three-dose vaccine that showed an efficacy of 66.6 per cent in an interim study.
It said the efficacy data is based on a late-stage trial of more than 28,000 volunteers, including those in the age group of 12 to 18.
Akshita Jain9 July 2021 05:47
Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the coronavirus pandemic for Friday 9 July, 2021.
Akshita Jain9 July 2021 05:07
