India: Nationwide lockdown not needed, need to impose restrictions

There is a need to impose restrictions at micro-level small areas and no nationwide lockdown is required, said chairman of the COVID-19 working group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) Dr NK Arora on Wednesday. "Our aim is to bring down the spread of the virus. Contact between people has to be reduced. It needs to be done at the micro level. We'll have to impose restrictions or lockdown in small areas but no nationwide lockdown is needed," Arora told ANI.

Arora also said the manner in which the virus is spreading in big cities and in tier 2-3 cities too is worrying and has to be looked into.

"We'll have to see when we impose lockdown at small levels, we must strengthen our health facilities and extend lockdown," the NTAGI Chairman added.

Dr Arora, speaking about the COVID-19 vaccine, said there is no shortage of it in the country.

"There is no shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in country. Once we get done vaccinating older people, we will start vaccinating younger ones," he further said.

NTAGI Chairman said the efficacy of foreign vaccines is good but they are being checked on the first 100 people and going under breezing test.

"The fact that people, who have been vaccinated, are again contracting the infection and still there is no increase in casualties means the vaccine is working," Dr Arora added.

India reported 1,84,372 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, said the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday. With this, the total number of cases has gone up to 1,38,73,825.

On Tuesday, 1,027 COVID-related deaths were reported in the country taking the death toll to 1,72,085. The active number of cases stands at 13,65,704.

In the last 24 hours, 82,339 people recovered from the disease. With this, the total recoveries reached 1,23,36,036.

The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country stands at 11,11,79,578 till today 8 am.

(ANI/RSS)