Covid-19: Assam achieves 2 crore first dose target

GUWAHATI: Assam on Wednesday reached a milestone with the completion of two crore first dose of anti-Covid vaccine for its 18-plus population.
Two months back on August 7, it had achieved the target of one crore vaccination.
The state health department said the focus now is on vaccinating 10 lakh people who have not received the first shot. The Centre has set a November deadline to complete the first dose inoculation of the existing 18-plus population in the states.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was delighted at the milestone the state achieved. “Assam makes history by vaccinating 2 Cr people (almost inching towards the 100% of target) against #COVID19 today. Grateful to our health workers for making this campaign a grand success,” he tweeted.
Sarma was grateful to PM Narendra Modi and expressed gratitude to him for making the Covid vaccination drive a true ‘JanAndolan’.
As per state government, the Covid vaccination is progressing significantly with 95% of the total eligible 18 plus population in the state said to have received the first dose. However, so far as the second dose is concerned, Assam could vaccinate only around 31% of the target.
Even as the state government is yet to ascertain the exact number 18 plus people to be vaccinated, it is going ahead with 2.10 crore as the target.
“The joy is immeasurable,” state health minister Keshab Mahanta said. He expressed gratitude to the doctors, nurses, frontline workers, district health officials and administration for their continuous efforts in protecting society from the virus and vaccinating the eligible people, especially the ones living in far-flung areas.
“When the Centre’s target is achieved in November, we are hopeful that most of the state’s 18 plus population will be able to get the second dose by February next year,” said state nodal officer of Covid-19 vaccination, Munindra Nath Ngatey.
Even as the government said Covid infection has reduced in the state, a total of 347 cases were detected in the state on Tuesday after 42,670 tests.
The latest daily positivity rate has been 0.81%, which the health department says is manageable. Nevertheless, the growing number of infections in Guwahati has been worrying for the department. Kamrup (Metro) district, under which comes Guwahati, reported 162 cases on Tuesday.