Patna, Jan 12 (IANS): The first consignment of 5.5 lakh doses of 'Covishield' vaccine against coronavirus will arrive in Patna by a SpiceJet flight on Tuesday, a health official said. Another 4.5 lakh doses will arrive on Wednesday.

The vaccine doses have been dispatched by the Serum Institute of India at Pune in Maharashtra. The vaccine doses will be stored at the Bihar government's facility at the Nalanda Medical Collage and Hospital in the state capital.

The official said that the Centre had allotted a total of 10 lakh doses for the vaccination drive in Bihar in the first phase. The vaccine doses will be first provided to 'corona warriors' like doctors, nurses, ward boys, police and other officials.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has announced that the drive in Bihar will begin from January 16, participated in a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, and state Health Minister Mangal Pandey.

Pandey said that 1.93 crore corona tests have been done so far in Bihar, which now has only 3,907 active cases.