Punjab CM Amarinder Singh urges PM Narendra Modi to expand the COVID-19 vaccine to under 60.
Expressing concern over the rising coronavirus cases in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow vaccination of younger people after 81% of latest 401 samples sent for genome sequencing showed new UK Covid variant.
"Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh expresses concern as 81% of latest 401 samples sent by Punjab for genome sequencing show new UK Covid variant, affecting more young people. Urges PM Narendra Modi to expand COVID-19 vaccine to under 60," news agency ANI quoted Raveen Thukral, Media Advisor to Punjab CM, as saying.
Amarinder Singh also appealed to people to get themselves vaccinated and stressed the need for the Central government to urgently open up vaccination for a larger section of the population.
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Punjab reported 2,319 fresh COVID-19 cases on Monday, taking the tally to 2,15,409, while 58 fatalities pushed the death toll to 6,382. The districts which saw fatalities included Hoshiarpur (10), Jalandhar (9), SBS Nagar (9), Amritsar (4) and Gurdaspur (4), according to a bulletin.
The infection tally climbed to 2,15,409 with over 2,300 more people getting infected, the bulletin said.
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Ludhiana reported a maximum of 341 COVID-19 cases, Jalandhar 309, Mohali 295, Hoshiarpur 230 and Amritsar 210, among districts, which witnessed new cases.
Night curfew has been imposed in several cities in the state. The Chandigarh administration has shut schools and colleges till March 31. Holi gatherings have also been banned in view of the spiralling Covid cases.
