Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the protection provided by the vaccination helped frontline workers serve others during the second wave, and this same protection will be available to all in the coming days.

During an interaction with doctors, paramedical staff and other frontline health workers of Varanasi via video conferencing, Modi also reiterated about the new challenge of black fungus, which has emerged lately in the second wave. He said there is a need to be cautious and pay attention towards the arrangement to fight the virus generally found in Covid patients with uncontrolled sugar and comorbidities.

“There is a big role of ASHA and ANM sisters in rural areas to fight Covid 19. I want their efficiency and experience to be taken advantage of at the maximum. It’s a good initiative to set up micro-management zones in rural and urban areas and it should be adopted in all the far-flung rural areas,” Modi added.

“This is not the time to get complacent because of the declining number of cases. We still have to fight the long battle. We have to pay heed to Varanasi and the easern part of Uttar Pradesh,” he further added.

Varanasi has set a good example by increasing the supply of oxygen beds and ICU beds, sais Modi, while further adding that the speed at which the Pandit Rajan Mishra Covid Hospital was made operational is exemplifying.

In addition, the Home Ministry reiterated to focus on vulnerable sections, especially children who are orphaned due to Covid. It has asked States/UTs to undertake an immediate review of existing facilities for vulnerable groups such as children, senior citizens and members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, who may need guidance to access Government support facilities.

Global aid

The government has received global aid from Wales (UK), Qatar, Ontario (Canada), UAE, Spain, USISPF, Gilead, Eli Lily, and Indian Danish Chamber of Commerce (Denmark), among other countries. From May 19-20 it received 2,474 oxygen concentrators, 526 ventilators, 27,356 vials of Remdesivir, Baricitnib 1,09,172, and 104 boxes of Favipiravir.

Cumulatively, 15,567 Oxygen Concentrators; 15,801 Oxygen Cylinders; 19 Oxygen Generation Plants; 10,950 ventilators/ BiPAP; and 6.6 lakh Remdesivir vials have been delivered/ dispatched through road and air betweenApril 27 and May 20, as per the government data.

Meanwhile, India reported 2,59,551 cases on Friday, with 4,209 deaths in the last 24 hours till 8:00 am. Cumulatively, it reported 2,60,31,991, of which, total active cases were 30,27,925 , those who recovered were 2,27,12,735 and the death toll 4,209, as per the Health Ministry.

India administered 19,18,79,503 doses, with 14,82,754 shots given in a single day till 8:00 am. In the phase-3 vaccination drive for the 18-44 years age group, which began on May 1, as many as 85,84,054 vaccine doses have been administered across 36 States and Union Territories.

As many as 7,36,514 beneficiaries in the 18-44 years age group got their first dose till 8 pm on Thursday. It is to be noted that the total number of tests conducted in India stood at 20,61,683 on Thursday.

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