Punjab prepared to deal with Covid third wave: Official
Darpan News Desk IANS, 05 Jan, 2022 01:33 PM
Chandigarh, Jan 5 (IANS) As the number of Covid-19 cases are rising in Punjab with a positivity rate at six per cent, the threat of a third wave looms large, but the Health Department is fully geared to deal with it, said state Health Department Director G.B. Singh on Wednesday.
Although the department has all infrastructural needs in place to deal with the large number of cases expected in case of the third wave becoming a reality, he also appealed to the people to get themselves fully vaccinated against the virus as it is the most potent tool to avoid Covid-19.
To increase vaccination coverage, the Health Department has started vaccinating children in the age group of 15-18 from January 3 and so far approximately 12,000 children were provided the first dose of the vaccine.
He said the drive to administer booster doses of the vaccine is going to start from January 10.
Singh also made an appeal to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour strictly as transmissibility of the Omicron variant is three times more than that of the Delta variant.
To ensure that the illegal sand mining is effectively nipped in the bud and prices of sand remain constant at the government fixed rates of Rs 5.50 per cubic feet, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi has announced a reward of Rs 25,000 for violation of norms.
With 17 gun salutes by tri-services personnel, the last rites of India's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, and his wife, Madulika Rawat, were performed with full military honours at Brar Square in Delhi Cantonment on Friday. The tri-services buglers played 'Last Post' followed by 'Rouse' just before the funeral pyres were lit by their daughter.
An NIA Special Court in Patna on Friday convicted eight Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorists for planting three IEDs -- one of which exploded -- in January 2018, in and around the premises of Bodh Gaya temple complex in Bihar ahead of the scheduled visit of the Dalai Lama and the then Governor of the eastern state, officials said.
With an eye on the upcoming Uttrakhand and Punjab Assembly polls, the Congress is planning to felicitate the war veterans of the 1971 India-Pakistan War during the end of the year-long celebration of 50th Anniversary of Bangladesh Liberation War.
Given in recognition of a lifetime's work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by the British monarch Queen Elizabeth II and is given to a person or group of people who have had a significant influence on the advancement of architecture. It has been awarded since 1848 and will be presented to Balkrishna Doshi at a special ceremony next year.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday congratulated the farmers for their historic victory whereby they had not only forced the BJP-led Central government to repeal the three agricultural laws, but had also paved the way for making the minimum support price (MSP) a legal right.