The minister on Sunday urged people to avoid large gatherings and warned that the country could face “big problems” if precautionary guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are not followed diligently.
“Extraordinary circumstances must generate extraordinary responses. No religion or God says that you have to celebrate in an ostentatious way, that you have to visit pandalos, temples and mosques to pray, “said Vardhan during an interaction with followers of social networks.
On the authorization of emergency use of Covid vaccines in India, the minister said that this would depend on the data produced by the ongoing trials. “Adequate safety and efficacy data are required for the approval of the emergency use authorization vaccine to ensure patient safety. The further course of action will depend on the data generated, ”he added.
Vardhan also said that the Feluda test, named after the famous detective Satyajit Ray, will soon be implemented to test Covid-19. The test, priced at Rs 500, can give a result in 45 minutes.
Although active cases have been down and are less than 9 lakh for the past three days, government experts are concerned about an escalation in cases during the festival season along with the onset of winters.
More about Covid-19
Highlighting the possibility of increased transmission of the coronavirus during winters, Vardhan said: “These viruses are known to thrive best in cold climates and low humidity conditions. In view of these, it would not be wrong to assume that the winter season may see an increase in the transmission rates of the new coronavirus also in the Indian context. ”
He stressed the need to adhere to the appropriate Covid behavior of wearing masks, especially in public places, washing hands regularly and maintaining respiratory etiquette to contain the spread of diseases. The Center has also launched a campaign along these lines with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking the lead on Saturday.
On the question of how the government plans to implement Covid-19 vaccines prioritizing target groups throughout the population, he clarified that supplies are anticipated to be available in limited quantities at first. “In a huge country like India, it is critical to prioritize vaccine delivery based on various factors such as risk of exposure, comorbidity among various population groups, mortality rate among Covid cases, and various others,” he said .
India is looking at the availability of several different types of vaccines, some of which may be suitable for a particular age group, while others may not be, he added.
Categorically denying rumors that the government prioritizes the youth and working class for the Covid-19 vaccine for economic reasons, Vardhan said: “Group prioritization for the Covid-19 vaccine will be based on two key considerations: occupational hazard. and risk of exposure to infection, and risk of developing severe disease and increased mortality. ”
.
