The State government has set itself an ambitious target of inoculating seven lakh people on Monday (June 21), on the occasion of International Day of Yoga.
Speaking at a press conference after a consultation meeting with officials from the department as well as the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), Health and Family Welfare Minister K. Sudhakar said ‘Lasika Mela’ would be launched on Monday as a special drive to cover all eligible groups: 18-44 age group, the over 45 age group, health workers, frontline workers, and vulnerable groups.
“We have a stock of 14 lakh doses of vaccine and we have set a target to inoculate a minimum of five lakh and a maximum of seven lakh on Monday. Having administered more than 1.8 crore doses, Karnataka accounts for one in every 15 jabs administered in India, covering more than 6.6% of the total doses administered in India,” he added.
Before the meeting with the Chief Minister on the impending unlock measures in the next phase, he said during discussions with senior officials to review the positivity rate and bed occupancy in districts, it was learnt that for the one-week average, 16 districts have a positivity rate of less than 5% and 13 between 5% and 10%. Only Mysuru has a positivity rate above 10%, he added. “The Delta variant has been concluded to be the most infectious and that is what caused devastation in the country. The Dr. Devi Shetty committee has given a preliminary report and preparedness for the third wave will be completed within 45 days of receiving the final report.”
Along with the TAC at the State level, district-level expert technical committees will also be formed with experts ranging from physicians to epidemiologists. “We will do whatever it takes to prevent the third wave from turning serious. We are conducting 1.5 lakh tests, which will be continued till December-end. Tracing and tracking are important and should be continued; for every one positive person, 20 people should be identified. District administrations should strictly implement containment zones,” he added.
A genomics committee has been also been constituted to study mutant strains, he announced.
‘Be with yoga, be at home’
For the second successive year, International Day of Yoga will be celebrated indoors.
As the theme of the 2021 event is “be with yoga, be at home” because of the persisting pandemic situation and the lockdown, yoga enthusiasts have been asked to celebrate the day at their homes.
At Mysuru, a centre for yoga, unlike last year when a small group of organisers was allowed to hold a symbolic event, Yoga Day 2021 will be strictly indoors, said the Yoga Federation of Mysuru Trust. Those willing to take part in IYD-2021 have to register themselves and are requested to participate with their family members using the terrace area or space available in their home, the federation said. They can register on https://forms.gle/A4RJ5XQCMuW2xj8QA and later send pictures.
