As states grapple with a rising number of Covid-19 cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold two back-to-back meetings with states on Tuesday morning.
The virtual meetings over containing the Covid-19 spread and vaccination distribution strategy will review the status of cases spread in a number of states and Union Territories (UTs).
Modi will deliberate on how to check the spread of the disease in new areas, particularly in eight states with high caseloads — Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal—with Delhi being in particular focus after Home Minister Amit Shah personally stepping in to monitor the situation.
In the other meeting with states and UTs, the central government will hold detailed deliberations on the distribution strategy of the vaccine.
The Tuesday meeting comes four days after Modi held a key meeting on vaccination strategy with the Principal Secretary to PM, Cabinet Secretary, Member (Health) NITI Aayog, Principal Scientific Advisor, Secretary Health, DG ICMR, officers of PMO, and Secretaries of related Departments of Government of India.
Earlier the Prime Minister chaired a meeting to review India's vaccination strategy on Friday to review it with five vaccines in advanced stages of development in India. had asked for a time-bound plan for speedy regulatory clearances and timely procurement for early rollout of the vaccination drive.
The identification of priority groups for Covid-19 vaccination like Health Workers, Frontline workers and other vulnerable groups has already begun as four of the five vaccines are in Phase II and Phase III and one is in Phase-I and Phase II. Modi has reviewed the aspects of emergency use authorisation and for manufacture and procurement of medicine as the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) in consultation with the state governments.
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