3.49 Lakh More Covid-19 Vaccine Doses To Arrive In Odisha Today

Bhubaneswar: As many as 3.49 lakh more doses of Covishield vaccine will reach Odisha today even as the State has a present stock of 6 lakh shots which will last for the next two days.

The quantity of vaccines doses coming to the State today will be exhausted in three days. The immunization drive would be hit if adequate vaccines don’t reach on time, Health Director Bijay Panigrahy said on Tuesday.

“As many as 1, 67,034 persons have been vaccinated yesterday against our target of 2 lakh daily. We now have a shortage of vaccine doses so we have written to the Centre for the early dispatch of vaccines. We have a stock of 6 lakh doses of Covishield which will last two days. So, we have urged the Centre to provide adequate shots before the time,” Panhgrahy said.

The State, however, has adequate quantities of Covaxin shots which are being used only in Bhubaneswar, he added.

So far 33.4 lakh people have been vaccinated. The State has set a target of vaccinating 1.16 crore population in the State.

On the other hand, Public Health Director Niranjan Mishra said that State Covid situation at present is better than the national average.

“The peak of the previous year stood at 97,000. However, this year, the figures have crossed the 1 lakh mark. Cases in our State are also increasing but the situation is not so alarming as compared to other states. All the Collectors in the bordering districts have been alerted to keep a watch on the developing situation,” he added.

People coming from outside are being screened on the borders and advised to remain under home quarantine, Mishra said.