Free Covid-19 vaccine by march next year, says UP Health Minister

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Oct 28, 2020:    The Uttar Pradesh government will provide COVID-19 vaccine to all its residents free of cost, said UP Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh at a News18 event in Lucknow on Tuesday. Singh claimed that the vaccine is expected to be available in the market by March 2021.

 

“Our efforts to improve the Covid-19 handling will continue. During the coronavirus crisis, we worked as a team and the result of which is for everyone to see. The construction of hospitals under the PPP model will be expedited in the state. Meanwhile, the government has managed to prevent dengue and encephalitis,” Singh said, adding that the health department is striving for arrangements for better treatment of cancer patients in UP.

In its manifesto of Bihar elections, the BJP recently promised free coronavirus vaccine, stirring a controversy. After the controversial announcement, opposition parties attacked the BJP for perpetuating “discrimination” in poll-bound Bihar state.

The COVID-19 death toll in Uttar Pradesh rose to 6,830 on Friday with 40 more fatalities, while 2,202 fresh cases pushed the infection tally to 4,66,060, a health bulletin issued here said.

At present, there are 28,268 active cases in the state, while 4,30,962 people have recovered from the infection and have been discharged, Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad told reporters.

The number of active cases in UP has come down by 58.6 per cent since September 17 during which the state witnessed a peak of over 68,000 cases, Prasad said.

During the past 24 hours, 40 more people have died due to COVID-19, taking the toll in the state to 6,830, while the total number of cases has risen to 4,66,060 from 4,63,858 on Thursday.