Mandaviya asks people not to let guard down against COVID-19

Bengaluru: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday asked people not to let the guard down against COVID-19 as the disease is under control but it has not gone away completely.

“The fight against COVID will go on in future because coronavirus is still amongst us. Coronavirus is certainly under control but it has not gone away,” Mandaviya said at the launch of COVID field hospital here.

He appreciated the Karnataka government for its preparedness to deal with any health emergency caused by COVID-19 in future.

“Dealing with an outbreak of disease depends on the thinking of the government. The Karnataka government has decided to set up dedicated field hospitals in remote areas, which shows how prepared it is to deal with the outbreak in future,” Mandaviya said.

He also hailed the state government for taking vaccines to the household level and achieved its vaccination target in a remarkable way.

“I congratulate the Chief Minister that 83 per cent of eligible population got the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine administered in the state,” the Union Minister said.

According to him, the Indian Council for Medical Research panel has said that those who took first dose of the vaccine become 97 per cent safe, Mandaviya said.

He also lauded Karnataka for the maximum COVID vaccinations on Prime Minister Narendra Modi”s birthday.

“The way the vaccination drive took place in Karnataka and the vaccine was taken to every village are remarkable. A large state like Karnataka has carried out its fight against COVID-19 in an exemplary way,” Mandaviya said.