PM Modi has given a target, there should be no third wave, says health ministry

NEW DELHI: Next 100 to 125 days are critical in the fight against Covid-19 in India, the Union health ministry in its weekly press conference on Friday said.
Niti Aayog's Dr VK Paul noted that "Fall in cases has slowed down. It's a warning signal." He shared a study conducted by ICMR that analyses the vaccine effectiveness in police personnel, a high-risk category.
The study shows two doses of vaccine were successful in preventing 95 per cent of Covid-19 deaths in the second wave.
"One dose of vaccine was able to reduce the mortality rate by 82 per cent. Two doses of vaccine were successful in preventing 95 per cent of deaths due to Covid-19 during the second wave," he said.
"We are moving towards a set target to administer 50 crore doses before July. We are on the path to achieving it. Govt has ordered 66 crore doses of Covishield and Covaxin. Additionally, 22 crore doses will go to the private sector," he added.
Paul also highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given them a target that there should be no third wave.
Incorporate face mask into our lives as a new normal: Health ministry urges citizen
Union health ministry, Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said, "Analysis shows a projected decline in the use of face masks as we resume activities. We should incorporate the use of face masks in our lives as a new normal."
"We have noticed that recovery has increased and there is also a decline in daily positive cases, but still, there are a few areas of concern. There are 47 districts in the country where the positivity rate is more than 10 per cent," he added.
Decline in average daily new cases
Lav Agarwal noted that daily new cases in the country continue to show a decline during the second wave.
"Average daily new cases declined from 3,87,029 cases between May 5-11 to 40,336 cases between July 14-July 16," the Joint Secretary said.
The government said that 47 districts across 12 states and UTs reported over 10 per cent positivity rate for the week ending July 15. The states and UTs were Manipur, Kerala, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Assam, Maharashtra and Puducherry.
Vaccines for children
The health ministry also said that it has along with all states & UTs & development partners, worked towards mitigating the negative impacts of Covid-19 and taking urgent actions to ensure that children receive life-saving vaccines under UIP.
"There have been some media reports alleging that lakhs of Indian children may have missed their routine vaccinations due to disruptions caused by Covid leading to increased risk of future outbreaks & deaths. These reports are not based on facts & don't reflect true picture," the government said.
(With inputs from agencies)