Chandigarh: Just 8% jabbed, positivity rate touches 13.5%

CHANDIGARH: Covid vaccine dose has increased from 3.81% to 4.85%, while positivity rate has risen from 8.1%% to 13.5% in the last two weeks, an indication how the city is losing the battle against the virus.
Till date, 77,659 have been vaccinated, which is almost 8% of Chandigarh’s population.
The seven-day average total positivity rate on March 30 was 13.5%. The national average was 5.85%. The weekly average daily growth of the virus has grown to 1.03%. Maharashtra is leading with 1.30% and the national average is 0.50%. On March 17, the weekly average daily growth in the city was 0.62%, when Punjab was at the top slot with 0.80% and Maharashtra at the second place with 0.74%.
“Vaccination has to move at a faster pace to achieve herd immunity. This can only check the infection rate, else we will continue with the pandemic for life,” said an immunologist at PGI.
Vax coverage below 70% for medical workers
The first drive of vaccination started on January
16. It has covered health care, frontline workers, those above 60 years of age and with comorbidities between 45 and 59 years of age. From Thursday, 45 years an above can get the shot.
Chandigarh is still amongst the states/UTs where the coverage of vaccines is below 70% amongst health care and front-line workers. “When the daily cases are on rise, low vaccination coverage can only create havoc. In case, there are many takers for the 45 years of age and above group, it can help in reducing the chances of transmission of the virus to certain extent,” said a public health expert.