Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday, along with his wife YS Bharathi. Initiating the latest phase of vaccination in the state, in which people above 45 years are eligible for vaccination irrespective of comorbidities, the 48-year-old Chief Minister took the vaccine at the 140th ward secretariat in Guntur’s Bharatpet.
Speaking on the occasion, Jagan urged all eligible people to get vaccinated. Stating that vaccination was the only way to prevent infection, he said that the state-wide vaccination programme will be completed in 90 days. The vaccination programme will be carried out through the village and ward secretariats, to increase coverage of eligible beneficiaries. The secretariats were set up by the YSRCP government after coming to power in 2019, for last-mile delivery of welfare schemes through secretariat staff who include village and ward volunteers.
A house-to-house survey will be conducted by village and ward volunteers, and ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists), to ensure all eligible persons are vaccinated, CM Jagan said. Volunteers will collect beneficiaries’ details, enroll them for vaccination and inform them of the date of vaccination, he said.
On Wednesday, Governor of Andhra Pradesh Biswabhusan Harichandan received his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and suggested that beneficiaries come forward for the vaccine without hesitation. As of Wednesday, a total of 90,304 people in the state had received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 10,386 persons had received the second dose, according to information shared by the state Health Department.
Meanwhile, the state has been witnessing a steady rise coronavirus infections. A total of 1,184 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the state in the 24-hour period ending at 9 am on Wednesday. A total of 7,338 active COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the state, according to the official COVID-19 bulletin.