In Chennai, get the coronavirus vaccine right at your doorstep
In Chennai, eligible citizens no longer need to queue up at vaccination centers for their dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, thanks to a new scheme launched by the city's civic body. Dubbed "Sending hospitals to homes," the initiative has been launched in order to vaccinate a larger population of the city in less time. Here are more details on this.
400 of 2,000 residents got vaccinated within hours
According to a report in NDTV, two health workers arrived at the apartments of elderly residents at the Purvankara Windemere in Chennai to vaccinate them as part of this drive. In fact, 400 of 2,000 residents, including drivers, domestic helps, and other staffers of the community, got vaccinated within a few hours. The drive would continue there today as well.
'Best system': Residents praise the initiative
Ex-serviceman Krishna G Rao, 95, and his wife Ganga were happy that health workers came to vaccinate them. "This is the best system for people like me instead of standing in a queue and wasting time," Rao told NDTV. "This is good. We don't have to go outside, they come with a doctor, and it's good," Roli Sharma, a teacher who got vaccinated, said.
Those aged below 45 also getting jabs
Amid concerns over a second wave of the coronavirus and increasing laxity among people in adhering to protocols, the Chennai Corporation is looking to protect its citizens. "We target vulnerable groups and the elderly, the co-morbid who are 45 and above," Dr. Logesh Yuvaraj, a medical practitioner with Chennai Corporation, said. Even those who are aged below 45 are being vaccinated through this drive.
Chennai aims to vaccinate 60,000 people daily
Thus far, only five lakh people, or 6.5 percent of Chennai's population have been vaccinated. Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said that they aim to vaccinate up to 60,000 people daily. "With 5 lakh, Chennai remains the highest in vaccination among cities. We want to double this to a million by this month-end and cover a quarter of the population by April," he said.
Yesterday, Chennai reported 532 coronavirus cases
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu's daily coronavirus count crossed 1,000 for the fifth day in a row. Yesterday, Chennai logged 532 cases out of the state's total of 1,437. In recent weeks, there has been a worrying spike in COVID-19 cases in several states across the country. India has so far logged over 1.17 crore coronavirus cases and more than 1.60 lakh deaths due to it.
