Move to speed up COVID-vaccine drive in six low-coverage Arunachal districts

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar has directed the Health & Family Welfare department to find ways to speed coverage of COVID-19 vaccination in low coverage districts of the State.

The Chief Secretary during a meeting of State Steering Committee for Immunization (SSCI) held in his office, asked the Health & Family Welfare Secretary to monitor and oversee the low-performing districts and give necessary directions to the Deputy Commissioners, District Medical Officers (DMOs) and District Reproductive & Child Health Officers (DRCHOs) to scale up the coverage.

The directive of the Chief Secretary came following report that six districts — namely Papumpare rural, Kamle, Lower Dibang Valley, Upper Subansiri, Kurung Kumey and Longding — are going slow in terms of COVID-19 inoculation, informed an official communiqué.

Kumar suggested for making video clips from the key influencers of the districts like the Deputy Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners, Extra Assistant Commissioners and doctors to address the misconceptions, fears or hesitancy on the vaccine.

The meeting also reviewed the 'Intensified Mission Indradhanush-3' and 'Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine.

Home Commissioner Kaling Tayeng, Health & Family Welfare Secretary P Parthiban, Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) Director Dr Moji Gini Director were also present in the meeting among others.

COVID UPDATE: Arunachal Pradesh did not report any fresh COVID-19 cases for the eighth consecutively day. The total caseload remained at 16,836, said State Surveillance Officer Dr Lobsang Jampa here on Saturday.

The total number of recoveries stands at 16,777. The State three active COVID-19 cases, while 56 people have succumbed to the infection so far.

The recovery rate has touched 99.64 per cent, while the positivity ratio is 0.01 per cent and the fatality rate is 0.33 per cent. Namsai district has only three active cases in the state as of now.

Altogether, 4,05,335 samples have been tested for COVID-19, including 259 on Friday.

Meanwhile, 32,325 Health and frontline workers have received vaccine shots so far in the State.

There are 343 COVID-19 vaccination session sites spread across the State with Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays notified as vaccination days, informed State Immunization Officer (SIO) Dimong Padung.

Also Read: No new COVID positive case in Arunachal Pradesh

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