According to a health ministry communique, The COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (CO-Win) digital app’s version 2.0 with the provision of self-registration for beneficiaries of COVID-19 vaccine is ready and will soon be launched. 

The CO-Win 2.0 that has been specially designed to drive the coronavirus immunisation programme in the country, will enable registration of the population in the 50 years and plus category for covid-19 vaccination-- the third population priority group after the healthcare workers and frontline workers.

The development came forth in a high-level meeting Principal Secretary to Prime Minister P K Mishra on Wednesday chaired to review in detail the progress of the covid-19 vaccination drive across the country and steps to accelerate the pace of vaccination.

In the next phase of covid-19 vaccination, the government plans to involve private sector healthcare facilities in a significant way in the ongoing vaccination drive, the officials discussed in the meeting.

While India is currently vaccinating healthcare workers and frontline workers against covid-19, the union health minister Harsh Vardhan has said that the government will be in a situation to administer vaccines to those above 50 years of age in March in the next phase of country’s nationwide covid-19 vaccination drive that kicked off on January 16.

The Principal Secretary in today’s meeting was briefed about the progress of the countrywide covid-19 vaccination exercise. The vaccination coverage in India has crossed 9.06 million doses across health care workers and frontline workers. With this cumulative number, India ranks third globally after USA (55.2 million doses) and the UK (16.12 million doses) who have completed more than 60 days of vaccination in compared to 31 days in the case of India, the government said in a statement.

While 68.3% of all Healthcare Workers have been administered the first dose, 37.6% of eligible Healthcare Workers have been administered the second dose, 28.2% of all Frontline Workers have been administered the first dose.

The principal secretary was also apprised that India has supplied covid-19 vaccine to 13 countries as grants through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) which are Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Oman, Afghanistan, Barbados and Dominica.

In addition, the vaccine has also been supplied to 14 countries--Bangladesh, Myanmar, Morocco, Brazil, Egypt, Algeria, South Africa, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia and El-Salvador) under commercial contract, the principal secretary was apprised.

Meanwhile, the covid-19 cases continue to rise in India at a slower pace. At least 11,610 new daily cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours. 86.15% of the daily new cases are from 6 States. Kerala reports the highest daily new cases at 4,937. It is followed by Maharashtra with 3,663, while Tamil Nadu reported 451 new cases. 100 fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the data available with the union health ministry.

Six States account for 81% of the daily deaths. Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (39). Kerala follows with 18 daily deaths and Tamil Nadu reported 7 casualties, the health ministry said.

The total tally of covid-19 cases reached 1,09, 42,928 and toll touched 1,55,978.

However, in a significant development, all States and UTs have reported a decline in active cases in the last month. Maharashtra has shown a substantial decline in active cases from 53,163 on 17 January, 2021 to 38,307 on 17 February 2021. 18 States/UTs have not reported any covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours. These are Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, J&K (UT), Jharkhand, Puducherry, Himachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Ladakh (UT), Assam, Adman & Nicobar Islands, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Daman & Diu & Dadra & Nagar Haveli.