In a media briefing today, February 16, at the National Media Centre, New Delhi, Rajesh Bhushan, secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, announced updates on the current COVID-19 situation in the country.

In the past week in India, 0.5 new deaths per million population were reported. This was the lowest when compared to loss of life due to COVID-19 in other countries — Russia (24), Brazil (35), Italy (38), Germany (40), France (43), USA (66), and UK (69). India reported 56 new COVID-19 cases per million population in the last seven days.

According to the media brief,  active COVID-19 cases were less than 0.14 million with only 93 average daily deaths reported last week. The cumulative positivity rate — the percentage of people who test positive for the virus — is 5.27 per cent and declining.

Surprisingly, only two states, Kerala and Maharashtra, with more than 35,000 cases contribute 72 per cent of total active cases in the country. With 44.97 per cent, Kerala reported the highest share. This was followed by Maharashtra with 27.31 per cent. Karnataka with 4.23 per cent, and West Bengal with 3.10 per cent.

Meanwhile, the number of vaccine doses administered till 1 pm today was eight million (8,740,595). Over six million (6,282,646) healthcare workers and two million (2,457,949) frontline workers were vaccinated. Vaccination coverage for frontline workers was reported less than 10 per cent in 10 states and UTs including Assam, Ladakh, Meghalaya.

Read: 19 health workers dead after COVID-19 vaccination; health experts demand investigation

Fourteen states and union territories (UTs) have managed to administer first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to more than 70 per cent of their registered healthcare workers. At 80.92 per cent, Bihar tops this list followed by Tripura and Lakshadweep at 78.76 per cent and 77.79 per cent, respectively.

Eight states and UTs have also administered second dose of the vaccine to more than 60 per cent of the eligible healthcare workers.

Meanwhile, 11 states and UT have administered the first vaccine dose to less than 50 per cent of healthcare workers. Puducherry has vaccinated only 22.62 per cent of its registered healthcare workers followed by Nagaland and Chandigarh at 32.28 per cent each. Delhi has covered 42.36 per cent of its healthcare workers.

Since February 3, vaccination of field level workers has also started in the country. Eight states have vaccinated more than 40 per cent of their field level worker with Rajasthan at the top (70.38 per cent coverage). Lowest coverage of field level workers is in Assam and Ladakh where it stands at zero.

Also read: Ready and Waiting: How willing are the villagers in Uttar Pradesh to be vaccinated against COVID-19?

In December last year, Gaon Connection conducted a ‘COVID-19 Vaccine and Rural India’ survey across 16 states and one UT. The face-to-face survey, conducted between December 1 and December 10, was carried out among 6,040 rural respondents. It found that 76 per cent of rural respondent households in the southern states had a member test positive for COVID. In the north zone, it was 12 per cent.

The survey, released as ‘The Rural Report 3: COVID-19 Vaccine and Rural India’ is available in full for a free download on www.ruraldata.in