Staff Reporter Aizawl, Jan 17:
Five hundred healthcare workers in Mizoram were administered COVID-19 on the first day of nationwide vaccination drive launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
The health workers were vaccinated at five vaccination centres - four in Aizawl and one in southern Mizoram’s town Lunglei.
Mizoram has received 18,500 doses of Covishield, the Serum Institute of India's coronavirus vaccine for the first phase which will be given to 8,325.
Dr. Eric Zomawia, Mission Director, National Health Mission, said the vaccination drive will continue from Monday covering all the districts of Mizoram.
“The 8,325 health workers will be given first dose of COVID-19 vaccine during January,” he said.
The vaccination was formally kicked off by Health Minister Dr R. Lalthangliana, who urged the public to continue to take preventive measures even as the State government has allowed church services for people not more than 200 people, relaxed night curfew and open schools from January 22.
Meanwhile, Mizoram on Sunday reported eight fresh infections of Coronavirus, taking the state's tally to 4,322.
An official statement said the eight new cases were detected from 784 samples tested in different districts on Saturday.
Of the eight cases, six were reported from Aizawl district, four of them from one family, and one each from Lunglei and Kolasib districts. Two of the new patients have travel history.
Mizoram's active cases today stood at 85 while a total of 4,228 patients have recovered from the disease. The State has so far reported nine COVID-19 fatalities.
(Source: Newslink Vol-XXIII No.7 Aizawl January 18, Monday 2021)