India has announced it will soon open its vaccination programme to every adult in response to soaring Covid-19 infections – a measure that could further strain supplies in parts of the world reliant on Indian-made vaccines for their own campaigns.
From 1 May, Indian states will be free to administer doses to anyone aged older than 18, the central government announced on Monday as part of a package of policies to tackle a second wave that has overwhelmed hospitals and led to oxygen shortages across the country.
Delhi’s government was one of several local administrations to announce new quarantine measures. The capital’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, said Delhi was facing a “grim” situation and needed to lock down for at least six days from Monday evening.
The daily death toll in India has climbed to more than 1,500, the highest figure since the beginning of the pandemic. Some public health specialists have blamed the surge in infections on a highly infectious “double mutant” variant spreading in cities and villages that had relaxed social distancing after six months of falling caseloads.
Read the full article at: The Guardian
