Govt running vaccination camps in high-footfall areas to widen coverage

New Delhi: The Delhi government is running COVID-19 inoculation camps at high-footfall locations of the city such as metro stations, markets, malls and areas near wine shops to widen the vaccination coverage, officials said on Monday.

The national capital has been witnessing an upward trend in coronavirus cases for the past few days and doctors have been emphasising that those still unvaccinated should get the shots. Among other measures, the number of Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics running vaccination centres have been raised from about 60 in early July to over 140 now, officials said.

Covid cases in Delhi have registered a rise in the last few days. For three consecutive days till Sunday, the city logged over 700 cases daily with the positivity rate climbing to 5.57 per cent on July 24, according to official data.

On June 1, the city had logged 623 Covid cases while the number of infections registered on May 30 was 946.

Delhi health department officials said the government aims to maximise vaccination coverage. Several steps have been taken to boost the number of vaccinated people as inoculation is a key step in combating the pandemic, which is far from over, they said.

"We aim to maximise vaccination coverage and we have been initiating many outreach programmes, including door-to-door surveys, to achieve it.

"Besides, we have had instructions from the chief secretary to target high-footfall areas in the city. We have chosen malls, markets, metro stations, 'Kanwar' camps and even near wine shops where people gather in large numbers," the senior official said.

Vaccination camps are being set up in these identified areas. In residential areas, camps are held for a day or so in association with RWAs depending on the size of the unvaccinated cohort in the area, officials said.

"We set up our camps on the premises of identified metro stations, near the entry and exit points, and also in other high-footfall areas like malls and markets. We want maximum vaccination coverage and if a section of people is not coming to immunisation centres, we will go to them," the senior official said.

Experts have been reiterating that people eligible for COVID-19 vaccination should get their jabs without delay. Doctors have pointed out that despite three waves of the pandemic and a rise in cases again lately, many people are still hesitant and have not even got their first dose.