PUNE: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday instructed the district administration to initiate vaccination of adolescents in the 15-17 years age group in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad civic limits in their schools.
He said the vaccination of students had so far received good response in the district's rural areas and the same should be the target in both Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) areas, where adequate stock of vaccines was available. "The beneficiaries can be called to schools for vaccination," he said.
Ajit Pawar said the medical shops would be told to collect the contact numbers and names of those purchasing Covid-19 self-testing kits and pass on the information to the local civic authorities. It would help identify the positive cases, he told reporters after conducting the district's Covid review meeting.
The district guardian minister said the existing restrictions would continue and a review would be done next week.
"The count of positive patients went up in the district this week as against the last week, but the health department officials observed that the requirement of oxygen and ventilators was still less. A discussion was held in the meeting to restart the jumbo Covid units in PMC, PCMC and rural areas as per requirements," Ajit Pawar said, adding that the weekly positivity rate in the district had gone up to 17%. He said the residents should continue to wear masks and strictly follow the Covid-appropriate behaviour. He told the administrative authorities to expedite the vaccination, besides continuing with the action against those flouting the Covid norms.
"An issue of commuters not wearing masks in PMPML buses was put forth during the meeting. We have instructed the authorities concerned to ensure that the norms are followed strictly," Ajit Pawar said.
