Frontline Workers

The government in Assam announced monetary incentives for the frontline workers who have been conducting the vaccination drive. According to Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa, the govt decided to give Rs 1,500 per month, as monetary incentive, to each Auxiliary Nurse Midwife, along with their monthly salary till the vaccination is completed. The state has administered 3.87 crore vaccine doses, with 1.62 crore fully vaccinated people.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that the names of three frontline workers will be given to the Center for Padma awards. Padma awards are one of the highest civilian awards in the country. Dr. SK Sarin from the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Dr. Suresh Kumar from Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP), and Dr. Sandeep Budhiraja from Max hospital are the names forwarded. 

Health Ministry on June 15 said that India has gone beyond the mark of 26 crores for COVID-19 vaccination dose, provided to 18-44 age groups. According to a report, around 13 lakh people registered for first dose of vaccine while only 54,375 people signed for second dose. However, among the healthcare and frontline workers approximately one crore people vaccinated for first jab and only around 70 thousand took the second one.

The Karnataka government has announced the resumption of vaccination drive for the people aged 18-44 from May 22. Earlier, the drive was supposed to start on May 12. According to the government, the frontline warriors will be given the first preference, followed by other eligible groups in the state. However, the district authorities will decide the number of vaccination sites and vaccinations to be given per day.

A report by the Institute of Perception Studies has revealed that on each day in April 2021, at least three journalists have succumbed to COVID-19 on an average in India. Shockingly, in May, the average jumped to four deaths. As per the report, 238 journalists have died from April 2020 to May 16, 2021. Meanwhile, Telangana, with 39 deaths of journalists, is the worst-suffering state, followed by Uttar Pradesh (37).