GUWAHATI, April 27: The Assam health department is contemplating vaccinating one lakh people per day in the state soon, health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Sarma allayed apprehensions of any shortage of COVID vaccines in the state, while informing that till Monday, a vaccine stock of 2, 67,000 was at its disposal.
“The central government has sent 5 lakh vaccines (one lakh doses of Covaxin and four lakh doses of Covishield) today. So, we are now planning to vaccinate one lakh persons per day. Till date, we have been carrying out between 60,000 and 70,000 vaccinations per day,” the health minister said.
Sarma said the Assam government is completely aware of the situation and moving ahead with to tide over the COVID crisis accordingly.
“So people need not panic,” he said while reiterating that there was no plan to announce a state-wide lockdown in the state as of now.
Asked by when the COVID curve might show signs of flattening,” the health minister predicted that the cases should gradually decline after May 15.
Meanwhile, Sarma visited the oxygen plant at MMC Hospital here. The plant (0.7 MT) with 100 jumbo cylinder capacity per day is set to be operational on April 29.
He also visited Royal Global University here where a1000-bed COVID Care Centre will soon be functional, apart from overseeing preparations at Government Ayurvedic College Hospital in Jalukbari, which is currently serving as a COVID hospital.