DDMA set to meet, was suggested mandatory vax for Metros & malls

New Delhi: As the Delhi Disaster Management Authority is set to meet today over several key issues with respect to reopening activities in light of consistently stagnant Covid cases and daily positivity rate below 0.1 per cent — a panel constituted by the DDMA has suggested reopening physical classes for Classes 6-8, with officials also hinting at possible vaccination requirement for boarding Metro trains and entering malls and other public spaces.

The DDMA constituted panel has recommended reopening schools for classes 6 to 8 in Delhi with 50 per cent student strength as it noted that there has been no reported instances of increased local transmission of COVID-19 due to reopening classes 9 to 12 and that attendance has been consistently increasing.

The panel, constituted to chalk out a detailed plan and standard operating procedures (SOPS) for reopening schools, also noted that attendance of senior class students has increased up to 80 per cent, and around 95 per cent teachers and school staff have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the minutes which were published on Tuesday.

The 25th meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the national capital was held on September 29. Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, who chaired the meeting, had announced that a decision regarding reopening of schools for classes 6 to 8 will be taken after the festival season.

At the meeting, Delhi Health Secretary suggested that it was time to incentivise and disincentivise Covid vaccination in the city, recommending that certain places start requiring vaccination proof to allow entry.

Informing the meeting that as on September 27, 171.71 lakh Covid vaccine doses had been administered in the national capital, the official suggested a change in the vaccination strategy to cover the remaining target groups.

The meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) was informed that by then, the first vaccine dose had been administered to 1.17 crore beneficiaries (78 per cent of the eligible population) and the second to 54 lakh beneficiaries (36 per cent of the eligible population).

"It is also the right time to de-incentivize/incentivize remaining beneficiaries for vaccination by making vaccination mandatory for entry into malls, Delhi Metro, restaurants and offices," the minutes read.

"Hence, it has been decided to have a focused approach to reach the balance eligible beneficiaries. For this purpose identification, mobilisation, setting up of camps, mobile teams with strong IEC campaign is being planned," it added.

NITI Aayog Member Dr V K Paul suggested that the introduction of vaccine passports may be taken up in a graded manner.

He said auto and taxi drivers and all other groups, who are in frequent contact with the general public, should be 100 per cent vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the city on Tuesday reported 41 new cases, zero new deaths with a positivity rate of 0.08 per cent.