Vaccine doses in Maharashtra to last only 3 days: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope
Mumbai, Apr 7: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday said the state has 14 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine which would last only three days, and many inoculation centres were being closed due to the shortage of the vaccine.
Talking to reporters here, Tope said people coming to such centres for taking jabs were being sent back as there was no supply of vaccine doses.
"Fourteen lakh doses are available now which would last three days. We need 40 lakh vaccine doses every week. We can then administer six lakh doses every day in a week. The doses we are getting are not enough," he said.
Tope said the state government was earlier vaccinating four lakh people in a day.
"We accepted the challenge from the Centre to expedite the vaccination drive to six lakh per day. Now, we were vaccinating nearly 5 lakh people in a day," he said.
The minister urged the Centre to give priority to Maharashtra, since the coronavirus cases were more in the state and the overall death toll was over 50,000.
"Most of those infected now are in the age group of 25 to 40 years," he said.
There is an urgent need to control the viral infection by increasing the immunity level of people and creating antibodies, Tope said.
He also urged the National Centre for Disease Control to inform the states if the present infection spread is because of a new mutant strain of the virus.
"If that is the case, please tell us what is the course of medication," he said.
Earlier in the day, state principle secretary (health) Pradeep Vyas told PTI that several districts in Maharashtra will run out of the COVID-19 vaccine stock "today or tomorrow" and the Centre has been informed about it.
Maharashtra can easily administer five lakh vaccine doses in a day if there is a clarity on schedule and availability, the official said.
Tope said about 1,200 metric tonne oxygen is being manufactured in the state every day and the daily consumption is 700 metric tonne, of which 80 per cent is for medical use.
The minister said he has urged the Centre to direct neighbouring states to facilitate oxygen suppply to Maharashtra.
Tope also asked all private doctors not to prescribe Remdesivir injections irrationally to hike the bills of COVID-19 patients, and that they should also follow the central government's guidelines on the use of the medicine.
He said Maharashtra has followed the '3T' (testing, tracing and treatment) principles strictly and taken all steps to ensure COVID-appropriate behaviour by imposing prohibitory orders and night curfew to stop crowding.
Nearly 82 lakh people have been vaccinated so far in Maharashtra since the roll-out of the inoculation drive.
An official statement on Tuesday said Maharashtra had received 1.06 crore doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, out of which 88 lakh doses have been used while the wastage stood at three per cent.
It said the state government will vigorously pursue its demand for more stock of vaccine doses, considering the rapid rise in the COVID-19 cases and expansion of the vaccination drive.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow people above 25 years to receive COVID-19 shots, which he said will protect the young people from the rapid spread of the viral infection at a time when they are stepping outside their homes to earn a livelihood.
In a letter to the PM, Thackeray also demanded that Maharashtra be provided 1.5 crore additional doses of vaccines, which will enable the state government to complete within three weeks the vaccination of beneficiaries above 45 years of age in six districts, including Mumbai.
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Mangaluru airport issues advisory to passengers, heightens security measures
Mangaluru: In response to recent cross-border attacks by Pakistan and rising tensions along the international boundary, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has directed airports across India to enhance security protocols. As part of this nationwide alert, Mangaluru International Airport has intensified surveillance, and introduced secondary ladder point checks (LPSC).
Explaining about the new protocol, Jaideep Shenoy, Public Relations Officer at Mangaluru International Airport, said that the secondary ladder point security check involves a second round of frisking. Passengers will first undergo standard checks by the CISF at the security checkpoint. Before boarding the aircraft, either via a boarding bridge or a bus, they will be subjected to an additional frisking by airline staff at the gate. Shenoy emphasized that the LPSC is a standard security measure implemented at all airports.
He also urged travelers to stay updated by checking the airport’s official social media channels for accurate and timely information.
In light of circulating reports regarding restrictions on visitor entry, Shenoy clarified that the entry of visitors into the terminal has always been restricted. Visitors may accompany passengers up to the departure gates or receive them at the arrival gates, as per existing rules.
In an advisory issued on Friday, Mangaluru International Airport urged passengers to arrive well in advance of their scheduled departures to accommodate extended security checks, and to cooperate with airport and security personnel.
The airport authorities also urged people not to share any unverified information.
#MangaluruAirport is fully operational, with your safety and comfort as our top priority. Stay informed and plan ahead to ensure a smooth journey.
— Mangaluru Airport (@mlrairport) May 9, 2025
Here’s everything you need to know before you fly, from security guidelines to handy dos and don’ts.
Plan ahead, stay informed, and… pic.twitter.com/clJTKPrlRT
