Lockdowns, Curfews should not affect COVID vaccination drive: Centre to States, UTs

The Union Health Ministry has written to States/UTs to ensure that movement restriction imposed by them for curbing Coronavirus spread does not adversely impact the vaccination exercise, by restricting access of beneficiaries to the COVID vaccination centres.

In the letter to States/Union Territories, the Ministry said it is being advised that the vaccination services should not be affected by COVID-19 curfews, lockdowns & the movement of beneficiaries to & from COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (CNCs) should not be restricted during such interventions.

The Order said that "Similarly those CVCs which have been identified as dedicated COVID-19 hospitals should continue providing uninterrupted COVID-19 vaccination services".

The Ministry also said that vaccination services should be provided in a separate building/block in these hospitals that are distinctly separated from the building block where management of COVID-19 patients is being done.

The letter reads, "This will ensure that beneficiaries of vaccination are not inadvertently exposed to COVID-19 these hospitals".

India reported its highest-ever single-day spike of COVID-19 cases with over 2.61 lakh new cases & 1,501 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Union Health Ministry on Sunday. The active number of cases in the country stands at 18,01,316.

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