With over 10.96 lakh COVID-19 vaccinations in a day Maharashtra's govt claims new record

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Saturday (August 21) claimed to have set a new record by inoculating over 10.96 lakh people against COVID-19 in a single day.

"The state achieved this feat with the network of 5,200 vaccination centres where 10,96,493 doses were given. This figure could go up as vaccination was going on at some centres till late evening," the state public health ministry said in a statement.

Maharashtra Public Health Minister Rajesh Tope said the state government was insisting on supplying higher number of vials for a long time so that we can "increase the pace of immunisation against COVID-19".

"Today, we proved our claim of having installed the capacity of inoculating more than 10 lakh people in a day," he stated.

The Maharashtra government on July 3 vaccinated 8.11 lakh people while 9,64,460 doses were administered on August 14, said Dr Pradeep Vyas, Additional Chief Secretary, Public Health Department.

Maharashtra on Saturday (August 21) reported 4,575 new coronavirus cases and 145 deaths, which raised the tally to 64,20,510 and the toll to 1,35,817, a health official said.