India’s total Active Caseload has dipped to 37,15,221 today. It now comprises 16.16% of the country's total Positive Cases. A net decline of 30,016 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours for the first time after two months (61 days). 13 States cumulatively account for 82.68% of India’s total Active Cases.

 

Meanwhile, the fear of the spread of COVID-19 in rural areas is looming large and the Centre has taken proactive approach to prevent it. The Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj has written to all the State Governments to take preventive measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in rural India. The Ministry has advised to undertake an intensive communication campaign for the awareness of rural communities on the nature of the COVID infection and preventive and mitigation measures, in accordance with the advice of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), doctors and medical institutions etc., while especially taking care to dispel false notions and beliefs.

The Ministry has also asked state governments to involve frontline volunteers from the local community for the campaign viz. elected panchayat representatives, teachers, ASHA workers etc. and they may also be suitably facilitated with necessary protective systems like finger oxy-meters, N-95 masks, infrared thermal scanning instruments, sanitizers etc.

To provide real-time information on availability of testing/vaccination centers, doctors, hospital beds etc. to rural citizens, the Ministry has advised state governments to leverage available IT infrastructure like Panchayat offices, Schools, Common Service Centers etc.

“The Panchayats may be activated to provide the necessary institutional village-level support catering to their respective locations. Wherever possible, they may improvise households as home quarantine locations, where maximum of the asymptomatic COVID positive cases can be managed. Additionally, they may also set up specific quarantine/isolation centers for the needy and returning migrant labourers. In consultation with the Health Department, the Panchayats may be designated to facilitate vaccination drives to ensure maximum coverage of eligible population”, the Ministry has suggested in its letter.

The Panchayati Raj Ministry has asked the States to leverage various Central and State Government schemes towards the provision of rations, drinking water supply, sanitation, MGNREGS employment etc. to provide relief and rehabilitation at the village level to the needy.

To deal with an emergency situation, the Ministry has asked states government to establish proper inter-linkages with the medical facilities at the nearby District and Sub-Districts so that emergency requirements like ambulances, advanced testing and treatment facilities, multi-speciality care etc. are provided to those in need without much loss of time. 

Meanwhile, the Centre is expeditiously delivering Global Aid of Oxygen concentrators, cylinders, generation plants and more than 3.4 L Remdesivir Vials to states/UTs through a “Whole of Government” approach. Nearly 8,900 Oxygen Concentrators, 5,043 Oxygen Cylinders, 18 Oxygen Generation Plants, 5,698 ventilators/ Bi PAP and more than 3.4 L Remdesivir vials received as part of global aid to India have been delivered/ dispatched to States and UTs to strengthen and supplement their COVID response, so far. The Union Government is ensuring a streamlined and fast delivery of the global aid to States and UTs through faster custom clearances, and use of air and road.

The cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 17.27 Cr today as the Phase-3 of the nationwide Vaccination Drive expands further. A net decline of 30,016 cases recorded from the total active caseload in the last 24 hours for the first time after two months (61 days).

More than 25 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the last 24 hours. As on Day-115 of the vaccination drive (10th May, 2021), 25,03,756 vaccine doses were given. Across 18,542 sessions, 10,75,948 beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and 14,27,808 beneficiaries received their 2nd dose of vaccine.

Government of India has so far provided more than 18 crore vaccine doses (18,00,03,160) to States/UTs Free of Cost. Of this, the total consumption including wastages is 17,09,71,429 doses. More than 90 lakh COVID Vaccine doses (90,31,691) are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. States with negative balance are showing more consumption (including wastage) than vaccine supplied as they have not reconciled the vaccine they have supplied to Armed Forces. Furthermore, more than 7 lakh (7,29,610) vaccine doses will be received in addition by the States/UTs within the next 3 days.