Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said he would suggest to the Central government to look into the possibility of reducing the gap for the precaution dose of the coronavirus vaccine from nine to six months and to three months eventually so that it would benefit frontline workers and those providing emergency services and help in bringing down hospitalisations.

In a review meeting on COVID-19 on Monday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials to focus on scaling up vaccination in five districts (East Godavari, Guntur, Kadapa, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam) which lagged behind the others in this regard. He expressed satisfaction that the vaccination for those in 15-18 age group had been completed (100%) in Nellore and West Godavari, and reached 90% in five districts and 80% in four districts.

The Chief Minister told the officials to make adequate quantities of oxygen and medicines available to cope with the third wave of the pandemic.

Over 50,000 beds ready

Officials said they were ready to face any situation arising from the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and that 53,184 beds were arranged across the State to treat the patients. They said only 1,100 people were hospitalised out of 27,000 active cases and only 600 of them were on oxygen support. Patients used to take 14 days to get discharged earlier and it came down to seven days.

CCC in every district

The government had set up one COVID care centre (CCC) in each constituency and arranged a total of 28,000 beds in them, the officials said, adding that as per the fresh guidelines of ICMR, people with no COVID symptoms need not be tested and only those in the high risk category are required to be diagnosed.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Health Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, Principal Secretary (Health & Family Welfare) Anil Kumar Singhal, Principal Secretary (COVID management and vaccination) M. Ravi Chandra and other senior officials were present.