More than 23 crores COVID-19 vaccine doses have been provided to States and Union territories so far said the Union Government on Tuesday. "The Government of India (GoI) has so far provided, both through the free of cost category and through direct state procurement category, more than 23 crore vaccine doses (23,18,36,510) to States and UTs. Of this, the total consumption, including wastage, is 21,51,48,659 doses", according to the GoI statement.
According to the central government, more than 1.57 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the States and UTs to be administered. As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, the Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them Coronavirus vaccines free of cost. In addition, the center has also been facilitating direct procurement of vaccines by the States and UTs, said the Union Government. Implementation of the liberalized and accelerated Phase-III strategy of COVID-19 vaccination has started from May 1, 2021.
Under the strategy, every month 50 percent of the total Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) cleared vaccine doses of any manufacturer would be procured by the central government. "It would continue to make these doses available to the State governments totally free of cost, as was being done earlier," stated the Central government.
Meanwhile, India recorded a single-day rise of 1,27,510 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest in 51 days, taking the country's infection tally to 2,81,75,044, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on June 1, Tuesday. The death toll due to the virus climbed to 3,31,895 with 2,795 fatalities being recorded in span of the last 24 hours. With 2,55,287 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the recovery tally has reached 2,59,47,629 and the recovery rate stands at 92.09 percent.
