New Delhi: The government is expecting the daily number of deaths due to Covid-19 to come down from June, as India reported the highest ever death toll world-wide in the last 24 hours, and the daily vaccination numbers to also improve from next month with increasing supplies from the two vaccine manufacturers and loosening of lockdown by the states.
The number of daily cases has been coming down in the country since hitting a peak on May 7 at 4.14 lakh cases and reduced to 2.63 lakh daily cases on May 18 amidst a last 7-day growth rate of minus 3.1 percent.
However, the number of daily deaths hit a new peak of 4529 on May 18, up from the earlier high of 4329 a day earlier and 4205 deaths on May 12. The latest death toll is higher than the highest number of deaths at 4409 reported in the US this January.
“The deaths are high presently given the 15-20 day gap generally between the peak of fresh infections and the peak of deaths. Deaths occurring today are mainly of people who got infected over two weeks ago when the new daily cases were at their peak. We expect the daily number deaths to come down by early June as the daily cases are now decreasing,” a senior government official told News18.
The government also expects the vaccination numbers to improve from June to about 25 lakh-plus daily as supplies from Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech would increase to both Centre and the states. Also, some states are expected from June to loosen their lockdown measures which have been hampering the vaccination drive as people hesitate to step out for getting the jabs.
Speaking to ministers of four states on May 15, Union Minister Harsh Vardhan had said the present level of daily vaccinations at “20-25 lakh was definitely low” and there was a need to increase it. But only 15.1 lakh and 12.8 lakh people were vaccinated on May 17 and 18 respectively, showing a further decline in the numbers.
A part of this fall is also attributable due to the vaccine drive suffering due to Cyclone Tauktae in both Gujarat and Maharashtra which contribute as among the leading states to the daily vaccine numbers.
The high demand for the vaccine from the 18-44 age group is, meanwhile, raising hopes for vaccination numbers increasing from June with over 50 million in this age group already registering for a jab. On May 18, out of total 12.8 lakh vaccinations done, 5.14 lakh jabs (nearly 40 per cent) were given to the 18-44 age group while second dose vaccinations for the 45+ age group accounted for only 1.83 lakh jabs after the interval for the second jab of Covishield has been doubled by the government last week.
Rajasthan has become the first state to cross the 10-lakh mark in vaccinations for the 18-44 age group, followed by Bihar at 8.7 lakh, Delhi at 7.8 lakh, UP at 6.3 lakh and Haryana at 5.5 lakh. A senior official said these five states were able to secure supplies early by placing quick orders with the two vaccine manufacturers and some other big states would now be getting better supplies from the two manufacturers from June.
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