Amid a drop in daily numbers of vaccination, the health secretary Amit Singh Negi has said that the vaccination drive is going on smoothly. On Monday only 8,941 people were vaccinated in the state. Talking to media persons Negi said that the government of India has confirmed sending 2 lakh more doses of vaccine to Uttarakhand on the state’s request for the same for vaccination of those aged above 45 years.

Apart from these the state would also receive 1.20 more doses of vaccine soon. He said that the state government has started an App for plasma donation and messages have been sent to 95,000 people so far for plasma donation. In these messages an appeal has been made to the recovered patients to donate plasma.

Negi said that breaking the transmission chain is necessary to control the Covid surge considering which the Covid curfew duration has been extended in various parts of the state. The state’s action plan is focused on the five-steps of testing, tracing, isolation, treatment and vaccination.

The secretary further informed that the number of patients being discharged after treatment is consistently rising in the state.

He said that about 90 per cent of those infected by Covid are recovering while undergoing treatment in isolation, adding that the state government is regularly monitoring the patients in isolation.

Referring to the 104 control room, he said that an average of 1,500 to 2,000 calls are being received here daily regarding various issues.

Secretary Pankaj Kumar Pandey informed that Remdesivir distribution is being facilitated consistently. The Central government has increased the state’s quota with Uttarakhand receiving 2,000 injections on Monday. The government will continue to send Remdesivir injections to the hospitals from where the demand comes.

The state is also cross-checking to ensure that the injections reach the genuine person in need. He said that evaluation by experts has revealed that those with symptoms but not getting tested, those who got tested but didn’t reach the hospital at the right time or start medication on time- it is such people whose condition is getting serious. Such people are arriving at the hospital in serious condition with oxygen saturation level of 70 or below which is making the situation difficult. Considering this, Pandey requested that those suffering from symptoms should immediately start taking the medicines and get a sample test done. Taking medicines on time prevents Covid from assuming a serious stage.