District unlock norms include 70 per cent vaccination among vulnerable group, says Centre

June 2, 2021

The Centre on Tuesday listed two crucial parameters for opening up districts after weeks of heavy restrictions to contain Covid-19: test positivity rate of less than 5 per cent for at least a week; and a minimum of 70 per cent vaccination coverage for the vulnerable groups.
There are 344 districts in India as of now that have a positivity rate of under 5 per cent. But there is no publicly available data yet on the districts that are anywhere near the 70 per cent cut-off point of vaccination among vulnerable groups.
The vulnerable population comprises people above the age of 60 as also the 45+ with comorbidities.
“Gradual lifting (of lockdown) will not witness a massive surge. However, we have to ensure that vaccination is prioritised. The vaccination rate for the vulnerable population must be up to 70% and Covid-appropriate behaviour should be followed,” said Balram Bhargava, ICMR Director General.

The World Health Organization recommends a positivity rate of under 5% for at least two weeks before an outbreak can be considered to be under control in a geography.
As coronavirus cases across India are now showing a declining trend, many states that had resorted to lockdowns are slowly opening up but some like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Chhattisgarh have extended the Covid-related curbs with specific relaxations.