After the launch of one of the world's biggest Covid-19 vaccination drives by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the frontline workers got the first shots of the vaccines in Delhi on Saturday. A sanitation worker, Manish Kumar got the first vaccine shot at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital.
Kumar was given the vaccine shot in the presence of Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan.
The Director of AIIMS Dr Randeep Guleria also received the Covid-19 vaccine shot. Other than him, many other doctors, nurses and healthcare workers were also given the vaccine shots.
On the other hand, a doctor, a nurse and a sanitation worker will receive the shot in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital. Health Minister Satyendar Jain is also expected to be present on the occasion.
The vaccines will be administered at 81 sites across all districts in the national capital. Six central government hospitals AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital, Kalawati Saran Children Hospital and two ESI hospitals are also part of the drive.
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Earlier in the day, PM Modi launched the vaccination drive against the coronavirus. “India's coronavirus drive is based on humanitarian and very important principles. Those who need the vaccine the most will get the dose first. Those who are at high risk will get the vaccine shot at first. Doctors, nurses, sanitation staff at hospitals, medical and para-medical staff are the most deserving to get the vaccine dose first,” PM Modi quoted as saying by ANI.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal earlier announced that around 100 people will be vaccinated at each of the sites everyday in the national capital.
He said, “We will begin with 81 centres initially. It will then be increased to 175 in a few days and then to 1,000 centres across Delhi.”
The CM assured the citizens that the government is fully prepared to introduce the vaccination programme from Saturday. More than 8,000 people will be vaccinated every day in the national capital.
As of now, the government has received 2.74 lakh doses of the Covid-19 vaccines from the Centre. It is enough to vaccinate 1.2 lakh health workers. Kejriwal said that more doses of vaccines are expected to arrive in the national capital soon.
Meanwhile, Delhi on Friday reported 295 new coronavirus cases, taking the cumulative tally to 6,31,884. The number of new cases reported came out of 66,921 tests conducted on the previous day. The positivity rate was 0.44 per cent. The cumulative positivity rate declined to 6.49 per cent.
