As many as 3,986 healthcare workers were vaccinated since the COVID-19 inoculation drive began in Manipur.
A total of 3,986 healthcare workers were inoculated against targeted beneficiaries of 7,310 on the first phase of the drive which commenced from January 16 last, said state health officials on Sunday.
The drive was in progress in 10 centres across the state, the officials added, during a news conference held at the state health directorate office today.
Like other states of the country, COVID-19 vaccination drive in Manipur commenced on January 16 with 54,000 doses of the Covidshield vaccines received from the Centre.
The state had also received 48,000 more doses of the vaccine on January 20.
Advisor (health) to chief minister Dr Sapam Ranjan who attended the press conference said that the second phase of the drive will commence from the first week of February and hectic preparation on selection of beneficiaries was on.
In the second phase, the state is targeting to inoculate COVID-19 frontline workers, he added.
The health advisor to CM then appealed to the people to continue following the appropriate Covid-19 SOPs.
He said that people should continue to follow the SOPs strictly even as the rate of COVID-19 infections and mortality declined in the state
The decline in the infection rate and mortality rate do not mean that COVID-19 was over.
“We still need to follow strictly the COVID-19 SOPs. We have to join hands together in fighting the pandemic,” he said.
Director of state health Dr K Rajo and director of state family welfare Dr Shyamsundro were among others who attended the press conference.
On the other hand, amid the steady decline in the daily spike, Manipur’s COVID-19 tally surged to 29,068 as 16 fresh positive cases were reported on Sunday.
The tally included 28,553, the state health department said, in its daily status update report that put the total number of active cases at 144. The recovery rate of the state stood at 98.22%.
Against the 16 fresh cases reported in the last 24 hours (till 4pm of January 31), eight patients recovered from the viral infection.
The COVID-19 casualty tally of the state remained at 371 as no death due to COVID-19 related illness reported in the last 24 hours.
Among the 16 fresh cases reported today, six were from Churachandpur, four from Imphal West, two each from Bishnupur and Senapati, and one each from Thoubal and Kakching, the health department added.
Meanwhile, with 1,310 samples tested over the last 24 hours, the total number of samples tested for COVID-19 in the state rose to 5,15,122 on Sunday.