PM Modi chairs high-level meeting on Covid, vaccination

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 related situation in the country and the vaccination drive to battle the pandemic. The session comes amid talk of a potential third wave sweeping the country in September and October. Amid the threat of a third wave, India has achieved landmark vaccination exceeding 72.37 crore people, as of Friday morning. The Covid situation is also under control with the weekly positivity rate coming to 2.31 per cent.

More than half of India's adult population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, while 18 per cent have received both doses. Kerala and Maharashtra continue to add the maximum number of daily Covid cases. At least 35 districts in India are still reporting a weekly Covid positivity rate of over 10 per cent and 30 districts are between five to 10 per cent, health ministry data said. Ahead of the festive season, the health ministry on Thursday said celebrations have to be low key. "This will give us an opportunity to celebrate festivals in a bigger way next year," Dr Balram Bhargava, director-general of the Indian Council of Medical Research said.