Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that the State governments would not have to pay for vaccinating the priority group of three crore healthcare and frontline workers, stating that the Centre would bear the cost.
The announcement came as the Central government placed a purchase order with the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) for 11 million doses of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, at a cost of ₹210 per dose (including GST).
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Here are live updates:
Vaccines reach Chennai
Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan overseeas as COVID-19 vaccines are being unloaded at the Department of Public Health vaccine store at Teynampet in Chennai on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: Jothi Ramalingam B.
A GoAir flight with Serum Institute's COVISHIELD vaccine arrived at Chennai airport on Tuesday morning.
5.56 lakh vaccine doses have been dispatched from Pune, said Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan.
The vaccines will be stored at State vaccine centre in Teynampet, Chennai. They will be distributed further to 10 regional centres & 51 walk-in coolers at district level by today evening. Later, it will go to actual vaccination site in cold boxes, he explained.
COVID-19 vaccines lands in Delhi
A policeman stands guard near container truck carrying the first consignment of vaccines as it prepares to leave for the airport at Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker, in Pune, India, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. | Photo Credit: AP
The first consignment of Covishield vaccines reached Delhi from Pune on Tuesday, four days ahead of the launch of a nationwide drive against the coronavirus.
A SpiceJet flight carrying the vaccines landed at the Delhi airport around 10 am. It had left for the national capital around 8 am, three hours after three trucks with the maiden consignment of the vaccines rolled out of the Serum Institute of India (SII) facility, 15 km from the Pune airport.
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said four airlines will operate nine flights to transport 56.5 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Pune to 13 cities across the country on Tuesday.
Vaccine movement has started, he said on Twitter, adding that first two flights operated by "SpiceJet and GoAir from Pune to Delhi and Chennai have taken off".
A 'puja' was performed before the vehicles left the facility.
1st consignment of Covishield vaccines leaves Serum Institute
Trucks to be used used to transport COVID-19 vaccines, getting ready to load vaccines for distribution across India, at Serum Institute of India, in Pune. | Photo Credit: PTI
Three temperature-controlled trucks rolled out of the Serum Institute's gates shortly before 5 am on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 and left for Pune airport, from where the vaccines will be flown across India. The trucks carried 478 boxes of the vaccines, each box weighing 32 kg, a source closely involved in the transport arrangements said.
The trucks left the Serum Institute of India premises at Manjari and reached the airport, located 15 km from the facility.
Schools to open after 315-day COVID break in Telangana
Following Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s direction to open schools and colleges from February 1, officials will be meeting on Tuesday to finalise the guidelines and standard operating procedures to be adopted with regard to classes, teaching and exams.
About 26,000 government schools and 11,000 private schools in Telangana will be opened for students of higher classes after a gap of 315 days as the last working day of the previous academic year was March 21.
Dr. Reddy’s seeks DCGI nod for Sputnik-V phase-3 trials
A medical worker demonstrates a vial with Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac) vaccine during the vaccination against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a clinic in Minsk, Belarus. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Pharma major Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories on Monday said safety data pertaining to phase-2 clinical trial of Russia’s Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been submitted to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for review seeking approval to continue phase-3 clinical trials.
The company said this referring to a review undertaken by the independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB). “The phase 2 study was conducted on 100 subjects as part of the randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study in India. The DSMB concluded that no safety concerns were identified and the study has met the primary endpoints of safety. Further, the safety data has been submitted to the DCGI for review and approval to continue phase 3 clinical trials.
School shut down after teacher tests positive for virus
A government middle school in Pakkamudayanpet here was shut down on Monday after a teacher tested positive for COVID-19. Over a hundred staff members and students were administered swab tests.
The premises of the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Government Middle School was disinfected. So far, no one else has tested positive for the virus.
State awaits arrival of COVID-19 vaccine vials
With the State expecting the arrival of COVID-19 vaccine consignments ‘anytime soon’, Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar said the vaccination - that will begin from January 16 - will be given in two doses.
“The second dose will be administered to frontline workers 28 days after the first one. Around 45 days later, immunogenicity in our bodies will be developed. And, until then people who get vaccinated should be careful,” said the Minister, who accompanied Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in the Prime Minister’s videoconference meeting with CMs of all States on Monday.
(With inputs from our Correspondents, agencies)