‘Vaccinate everyone above 18 years of age’: Pune officials’ demand as COVID cases rise

As the state of Maharashtra records a steep rise in COVID-19 cases with Pune, Nagpur and Nashik emerging as one of the key hot spots responsible for a better share of total recorded virus cases in India, Pune district officials on Friday demanded that Centre should frame a policy to vaccinate all those above age of 18 in the region considering it as an “exceptional case” and that this could be an effective way to flatten the spike in infections, reported PTI.

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“In order to contain the spike, we will follow up with the state and Centre for a policy to vaccinate all people above the age of 18 in Pune as an exceptional case,” said Saurabh Rao, Pune divisional commissioner.

Rao further added that the district’s active caseload was the highest in the country, adding that health workers are also of the opinion that Pune should be prioritised in vaccination.

In addition to that, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and district guardian minister Ajit Pawar also said that Pune must be given maximum vaccine doses so that all the adults can be inoculated against the virus which continues to cause havoc in the district.

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“I have asked Pune MP Girish Bapat and Maval MP Srirang Barne to raise the issue of Pune in Parliament and will ask other MPs such as Amol Kolhe, Supriya Sule to raise the issue,” he said.

A total of 3,184 COVID-19 cases were recorded on Friday in the Pune district alone. This marks the highest single-day surge in 2021, taking the overall infection figure to 4,31,528.

In view of rising COVID-19 cases, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday imposed a fresh set of restrictions in certain areas of Thane.