Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said that India is still far from achieving herd immunity against COVID-19 and people should continue to follow coronavirus norms laid out by the government.

He said, even the soon-to-be-released second serosurvey’s indications are that we are far from having achieved any kind of herd immunity which necessitates that all of us should continue following COVID-appropriate behaviour.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan was answering questions posed by his social media interactors on Sunday Samvaad.

Dr Harsh Vardhan said, Indian Council of Medical and Research (ICMR) is actively investigating and researching reports of COVID-19 reinfection.

He said, although the number of reinfection cases is negligible at this moment, the government is fully seized of the matter.

Dr Harsh Vardhan stressed that plasma therapy and Remdesivir should not be encouraged for COVID-19 treatment.

He said, private hospitals have also been advised against routine use of these investigational therapies.

Health Minister said, government is committed to increase the public healthcare spending from the existing 1.15 per cent of the GDP to 2.5 per cent by 2025.

He added that the 15th Finance Commission’s high-level group on health has concurred that healthcare spending must be raised substantially in the next five years in view of the present pandemic.