Hope is all

We as Indians stand united in confronting the coronavirus together. Something that we all Indians will never forget and now we want to make sure that we will do it.

Good news came through this esteemed newspaper that India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said India will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of 2021 (“India will vaccinate all by December 2021: Minister,” Gulf Today, May 29).

Javadekar made the statement on Friday, as the centre hit back after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pointed out that less than three per cent of the country’s 130 crore people had received both doses of a vaccine. Moreover, Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that from Monday construction work and factories can resume, “keeping the poorest section of our society, the labourers and daily wage workers, in mind”.

Daily infections reported across India have more than halved from more than 400,000 earlier this month, according to official statistics.

Deaths per day have also fallen but by much less, with 3,660 reported on Friday in the previous 24 hours. This is widely seen as a major underestimate.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister also said, “India’s vaccination will be completed before 2021.  “The Health Ministry has given a blueprint. 108 crore people — with 216 crore doses — will be vaccinated by December. Rahulji... if you’re concerned about vaccination then pay attention to Congress ruled states... there is a mess.  “They are not taking the quota given to them for 18-44 year old beneficiaries from May 1.”

Meanwhile, WHO’s European director warned on Friday that the COVID-19 pandemic won’t end until at least 70 per cent of people are vaccinated, and criticised Europe’s vaccine rollout as “too slow”.

Parkash Mishra — By email