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Amid paucity of oxygen supplies in hospitals and skyrocketing Covid-19 cases, the Centre on Wednesday urged States to use oxygen rationally.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that currently India produces 7,500 tonnes a day out of which 6,600 tonnes are being provided to the States for medical use. He promised to step up supplies based on the requirement.
The government also shared data related to those who got infected even after the second shot of a vaccine. Only 0.04 per cent and 0.03 per cent of the people tested positive after the second dose of Covaxin and Covishield, respectively.
Bhushan reiterated that compared to last year, the active Covid-19 cases are more than double. He said that it’s a matter of concern as there are more than 146 districts having a positivity rate of more than 15 per cent.
He added that the positivity rate is in the range of 5-15 per cent in 274 districts, and 5 per cent in 308 districts. He promised that the number of beds would be increased in the coming days to deal with the situation.
In the first wave 8.07 per cent positive cases were reported in the age group of 10 and 20 years, whereas in the second wave it was 8.50 per cent. It was 20.41 per cent and 19.35 per cent, respectively, for 20-30-year age group, Bhushan said.
Stats on children
In the first wave while 4.03 per cent children below 10 tested positive it is 2.97 per cent in the second wave.
India reported 2,95,041 Covid 19 cases on Wednesday, with 2,023 deaths in the last 24 hours, per the Health Ministry data. Now, the total cumulative cases till 8 am stood at 1,56,16,130 of which active cases were 21,57,538, recovered cases at 13,276,039, while the death toll climbed to 1,82,553.
Simultaneously, India’s vaccination drive is operational all across India and the government lately liberalised its vaccine strategy in view of soaring cases by including those aged above 18 from May 1.
So far, the government has administered 13,01,19,310 jabs of which 29,90,197 shots were given in the last 24 hours.
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