India / Himachal emerged as champion: PM praises state for 100% 1st dose COVID vaccination

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a virtual interaction with healthcare workers of Himachal Pradesh, as well as beneficiaries of the vaccination drive against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Himachal Pradesh is the first state in the country where every single beneficiary has received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated the hill state for this achievement, saying that it achieved this feat by working as a team. “Himachal Pradesh came out as a champion in the fight against this once in a century pandemic,” PM Modi said.

He also mentioned how twice in the last few days, India created a record by vaccinating more than 10 million people in a single-day, noting that this is way more than the total population of several countries. “Sikkim and Dadar & Nagar Haveli have also partially vaccinated cent percent eligible beneficiaries, and other states are catching up too. Now, we should focus on completing full vaccination,” he remarked.

PM Modi further lauded the state government for ensuring that first dose was administered to all eligible beneficiaries despite Himachal being a hill state. He also praised people for not believing in any misinformation pertaining to Covid-19 vaccines.

“Fast paced vaccination will also be beneficial for the tourism sector here,” the Prime Minister said. He also spoke about how the recently announced changes in drone technology will benefit Himachal. The new rules, he said, are not only simple, but will also lead to new opportunities in fields such as health and agriculture.

Prime Minister Modi concluded his speech by urging everyone to remain cautious against Covid-19 and strictly comply with “do gaj ki doori.”

Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur also spoke on the occasion. Thakur promised that all beneficiaries in the state will be fully vaccinated by November 30.