J-K orders 1.2 cr COVID vaccines

Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 18 : An order for 1.2 crore doses of COVID vaccines have been placed as part of ongoing vaccination drive in the valley, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole informed on Tuesday.
However, there can be a difficulty as other states have also placed orders, he added.
"So far, the vaccination is going on at a good pace. Jammu and Kashmir has even touched the 50,000 daily doses of vaccination during the ongoing drive," said Pole.
He further said that the vaccination of age group above 45 is going on in full swing and the rate in Jammu and Kashmir is 61 per cent against the 33 per cent national rate which is almost double the size of the national-level percentage. The Divisional Commissioner hoped that the remaining population in the above 45 age group shall be vaccinated in the coming days.
Pole said, "For the vaccination of 18- 45 age group, Jammu and Kashmir needs vaccine doses for 37 lakh population for which registration process has been started and shall commence soon."
Urging people to register themselves, the Divisional Commissioner said that the vaccination for this age group shall be prioritized as first public contacts including shopkeepers, drivers, employees and others who come in public contact and shall be given the doses on priority for containment of the spread of COVID-19 virus.
According to Pandurang K Pole, the rate of daily COVID-19 positive patients is getting stabilised by 10-12 per cent in Kashmir over the past few days.
The Divisional Commissioner said this while commenting on the current situation of the pandemic. He also said there are chances the mortality rate will remain the same or increase in the next few days.
Stressing that the Administration has been taking every possible step to contain the spread of the virus, Pole said the demand for oxygen beds has been also eased out as the number of beds has been increased at all dedicated COVID-19 hospitals including SKIMS Soura and SMSH territory care hospitals.
He said Kashmir is in a comfortable position now as there are five oxygen manufacturing plants while 20 more oxygen generation plants have been installed at different hospitals. He also said people should avoid believing in baseless allegations of oxygen supply shortage. Instead, everybody should work as a team to overcome this pandemic.
He appealed to people to remain watchful and comply with all government instructions religiously for containment of COVID- 19 during the ongoing second wave.