Chandigarh, Apr 8 (IANS): Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged the Centre to give flexibility to states to devise their local strategies for Covid vaccination, within broad parameters of the Centre's approach, while seeking a review of the strategy to allow all adults in high-risk areas to be immunised, along with patients with liver and kidney disease below the age of 45.
He made these suggestions in a letter written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, immediately after the latter's virtual meeting with Chief Ministers of all states to review the Covid and vaccination situation.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister of the situation in the state, and also the steps taken by his government to control and manage the disease.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present at the meeting, during which Amarinder Singh assured the Centre of all-out efforts by his government to contain and manage Covid.
He stressed on the fact that the UK variant which is dominating the second wave in the state, is reported by experts to be more virulent and affecting the youth disproportionately.
In his subsequent letter, the Chief Minister said his suggestions, some of which had been earlier submitted on March 17 to the Prime Minister, the Union Minister and the Union Health Minister, were based on the state government's interaction with independent experts.
Amid reports of some states facing vaccine shortages, he also requested the Union Health Ministry to share the schedule for supply of vaccines with the states over the next quarter, based on their confirmed supply orders.
Given that over 80 per cent positive cases found in Punjab are of the UK variant, as per early reports from central laboratories, the Chief Minister also sought strengthening of viral sequencing in the state, which has been reporting around 3,000 cases per day since the last 15 days, with around eight per cent positivity.
The state currently has around 26,000 active cases with recovery rate of 87.3 per cent, with fatalities a matter of concern at 50-60 deaths a day and around two per cent Case Fatality Rate (CFR) in the second surge, which struck the state in the latter half of February this year.
The Chief Minister reiterated his earlier request for covering all teachers and staff in all educational institutions for vaccination to enable resumption of physical classes once the surge abates.
He also called fo occupation-based immunisation for judges and judicial officers, bus drivers and conductors, elected representatives at all levels, etc.
Amarinder Singh also urged the Prime Minister to direct central institutions like IISER, IMTech, AIIMS Bathinda and PGIMER, Chandigarh to increase the RT-PCR testing from Punjab. Further, PGIMER, Chandigarh should be asked to earmark at least 50 Covid ICU beds for patients being referred by the state, he added.