India's states flag COVID-19 vaccine shortage

A man receives a shot of COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Prayagraj, India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, on April 10, 2021. India is witnessing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases. The federal health ministry on Saturday morning said 145,384 new COVID-19 cases and 794 related deaths were registered in the past 24 hours across the country. (Str/Xinhua)

NEW DELHI, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Chief Minister of the northern Indian state of Punjab Amarinder Singh Saturday said they have only five days of COVID-19 vaccine doses left with them.

Singh has written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and federal health minister Harsh Vardhan about the shortage urging them to replenish the stocks.

Singh said if the state reaches its target of 200,000 shots per day, then it will be left with only three days supply.

Punjab is the latest state to flag the issue of COVID-19 vaccine shortage amid a deadly second wave of the pandemic in the country.

Chief Minister of adjacent Rajasthan state Ashok Gehlot has issued a similar warning to the federal government seeking vaccine supplies.

"The present stock of vaccines in Rajasthan (which has reported high vaccination rates) will finish in the next two days," Gehlot has written to the federal government. "It is requested that at least another 30 lakh (3 million) doses be provided."

Jharkhand too has warned of vaccine stocks running low.

The issue of shortage has also been flagged by Maharashtra, where reports said over 100 vaccination centres have been shut.

India is witnessing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases. The federal health ministry on Saturday morning said 145,384 new COVID-19 cases and 794 related deaths were registered in the past 24 hours across the country.

So far, this is the highest single-day spike since the start of the pandemic in the country.