Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat on Saturday asked officials to focus on stopping deaths due to Covid-19 and speed up the process of vaccinating people in the 18-44 age group.


Reviewing the coronavirus situation in the state via video conference, Rawat asked the officials to go for a decentralised system for the distribution of medical kits among all Covid-19 patients.


He asked the District Magistrates to take stern action in case of more than 25 people gathering at one place for social functions like marriages.


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The chief minister also suggested that help from retired army personnel can also be taken in the fight against the pandemic.


He also asked the officials to speed up the process of vaccinating people aged between 18 and 45 years as soon as the first consignment of vaccines for them arrives.


The first consignment of vaccines meant for people in that age group is likely to arrive later on Saturday.


The Covid-19 protocol must be followed at the vaccination centres which should preferably be located in open spaces, Rawat said.


The chief minister ordered stringent action against the people involved in black marketing and selling at inflated prices the medicines and equipment used in Covid-19 management.


He also said the use of oxygen by hospitals should be constantly audited. Oxygen plants under construction should be completed speedily and they must get uninterrupted electricity supply, the CM said.


Health Secretary Amit Negi said stocks of Remdesivir injections are adequate in the state.


Efforts at present are focused on breaking the transmission chain of the virus, he said.


Uttarakhand on Friday recorded its biggest single-day spike of 9,642 coronavirus cases that took the tally to 2,29,993, while 137 more fatalities pushed the death toll to 3,430.