Maharashtra CM orders speedy inoculation in face of Omicron concerns

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday ordered "speedy vaccination" against coronavirus as the state cabinet expressed worry over the rapid spread of the Omicron variant across the world, an official statement said.

At a cabinet meeting, Thackeray instructed officials to ramp up vaccination, especially in areas where the proportion of inoculated persons in the eligible population is low, it said.

As many as 12,03,18,240 doses of anti-COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the state, the statement said, adding that 4,37,46,512 individuals have been inoculated fully while 7,65,71,728 have received at least one dose.

As much as 76.69 per cent people in the 18 to 44 years age group have received at least one dose, while 85.25 per cent individuals in the above-45 group have been jabbed at least once, it said.

The statement noted that the number of Omicron-infected patients across the world has gone up by 45 per cent in the last 12 hours and the variant has spread to 54 countries till now.

Noting the rise in cases in countries like South Africa, France, Germany, Austria and the US, chief minister Thackeray stressed the need for taking precautions and strictly following health-related rules, the statement said.