The government will allow Covid-19 vaccination at public and private workplaces having about 100 eligible beneficiaries from 11 April across states and Union territories.

Union Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a letter to the chief secretaries said a substantial proportion of population aged 45 and above is in the organised sector and is involved in formal occupation in offices (government and private) or manufacturing and services.

“In order to increase the access of vaccine to these populations, Covid-19 vaccination sessions may be organised at work places (both public and private) which are having about 100 eligible and willing beneficiaries by tagging these work places with an existing Covid vaccination centre,” Bhushan said in the letter .

He said the states can initiate due consultations with private/public sector employers and management to prepare for launch of work place vaccination.

“Such work place vaccination centres may be launched across states/ Union territories from 11 April 2021,” he said.

Fastest vaccination in India: India has surpassed the US to become the fastest Covid-19 vaccinating country in the world with an average daily rate of 30,93,861 vaccine doses,the Union health ministry said today.

The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 8.70 crore.

Cumulatively, 8,70 ,77, 474 vaccine doses have been administered through 13,32,130 sessions, as per the provisional report till 7 am.

More than 33 lakh vaccination doses were administered in the last 24 hours. As on Day-81 of the vaccination drive (6 April), 33,37,601 vaccine doses were given.

India’s daily new cases continue to rise and 1,15,736 new cases were registered in a span of 24 hours. Slack in following Covid appropriate behaviour, a susceptible population and spread of variants could be among the main reasons for the second wave that has hit the country, healthcare experts have said. Eight states including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have shown a rise in the Covid daily new cases accounting for 80.70 per cent of the new cases reported in a day. Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 55,469, followed by Chhattisgarh with 9,921.

“There is definitely a role of new variants of concern which are more infectious and probably some of them are immune escape variants also and they are spreading faster than the earlier versions,” said Dr Giridhara R Babu, Professor and Head, Lifecourse Epidemiology, Public Health Foundation of India. Immune escape variants are not detected by the immune system.

India’s total active caseload has increased to 8,43,473. A net increase of 55,250 cases was recorded in the total active caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Maharashtra alone accounts for 56.17 per cent of the total active caseload of the country, the ministry said. In a span of 24 hours, India’s cumulative recoveries have surged to 1,17,92,135 with 59,856 recoveries and a total of 630 deaths were reported.

Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (297); Punjab follows with 61.

Eleven states and UTs have not reported any Covid-19 deaths in a span of 24 hours.

Delhi logs 5,506 cases, 20 deaths: Delhi has continued to witness a sharp surge in coronavirus infections, recording today 5,506 fresh Covid cases ~ highest single-day count this year so far ~ that pushed its caseload to 6,90,568, according to the Delhi government’s latest health bulletin.

The city reported 20 more coronavirus-linked deaths, which took its Covid toll to 11,133, the health bulletin said.

~With inputs from PTI~