Arunachal aims to achieve 100% first dose vaccination coverage by mid-Aug

The Arunachal Pradesh Government aims to innoculate 100 per cent of the state's population against COVID-19 by mid-August, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said.

While speaking at the sixth e-Pragati virtual meeting with district administrations on Thursday, the Chief Minister emphasised on headcounts at the base for the vaccination drive rather than the population census or electoral rolls to give the correct status of vaccination.

"This will give the correct status of vaccination doses as a good chunk of the population of interior districts may have their names in electoral rolls of their respective districts but are settled in urban areas of other districts, where they might have got their jabs," he said.

He gave the example of the Itanagar Capital Complex (ICC), which has already vaccinated way above 100 per cent of its population, while in districts like Kra-Dada, less than 50 per cent of the population has been vaccinated, as per electoral rolls.

As many as 7,91,371 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Arunachal Pradesh so far, including 6,42,785 first doses and 1,48,586 second doses, according to the Union Health Ministry. As per the 2011 census, the state's population is about 12.6 lakhs.

There are currently 4,384 active COVID-19 cases in the state. A total of 39,634 recoveries and 204 deaths have been reported so far.

Other major issues were discussed during the meeting, including petroleum and hydrocarbon extraction and exploration, Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System, CAMPA, construction of road to Tali, multi-storey parking in civil secretariat and elsewhere in the state capital, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (both rural and urban), implementation of MGNREGA, etc.

A portal of the Education department and a State Control Room for COVID-19 management were also launched during the meeting.