CHANDIGARH: As the number of Covid infections are rising day by day and present positivity rate in Punjab stands at 6%, threat of a third wave of covid now seems to be a possibility in the near future. To deal with such a scenario Health Department is fully geared to tackle any eventuality.
Disclosing more about the preparations of Health Department, Director Health and Family Welfare Dr. G.B. Singh stated that although Department has all the infrastructural needs in place to deal with large number of cases as are expected in case of third wave becoming a reality. But he appealed to the people of Punjab to get themselves fully vaccinated against covid as it is the most potent tool to avoid Covid. To increase vaccination coverage, Punjab Health Department has started vaccinating children in the age group of 15-18 from third January and within two days Punjab has covered approximately 12000 children. He also informed that booster dose of covid vaccine is also going to start from January 10. In the first phase Health Care Workers, Frontline Workers and Persons who are above the age of 60 having co-morbid condition will be eligible for this booster dose.A gap of nine months after the second dose is essential to be eligible for the booster dose.
Dr. G.B. Singh also made an appeal to follow covid appropriate behaviour strictly by everyone as transmissibility of the Omicron variant is three times more than that of the Delta variant.