NEW DELHI: Delivery agents working for various e-commerce platforms will be vaccinated on a priority basis in Delhi.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday directed the health department to tie up with organisations such as Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato, Swiggy, Dunzo and others to ensure vaccination for their delivery personnel.
Meanwhile, referring to the Centre’s letter to all state governments disallowing them to share information regarding the number of vaccines administered and the stock position, Sisodia tweeted, “Am amazed at the order of central govt that prevents states from sharing information regarding vaccine stocks! The central govt needs to focus on ensuring adequate supply of vaccine to all, rather than hiding the true position of vaccine availability from the public.” Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed concern about vaccine shortage.
“We welcome the Centre’s move to buy vaccines and distribute them among states from June 21, but where will the Centre buy the vaccines from? The Covid vaccine production capacity of the country is still very low.
The whole country can be vaccinated in three months if we have sufficient vaccines and all states follow Delhi’s vaccination model,” he said.
Presenting the daily vaccination bulletin on Thursday, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi said that instead of getting maximum people vaccinated, the Centre wanted to hide the stock position.
“Vaccination for Delhi’s youths (18-44 years) restarted on Thursday after a halt of 16 days.
Amid such a situation, it is surprising that the Centre wants us to conceal facts,” she said.
“Delhi government believes that people have a right to know about the situation of vaccines and it has been our constant effort to put everything transparently in front of our people,” Atishi added.
Justifying vaccination of delivery agents at the earliest, a government statement said that by delivering articles at the doorstep of buyers, they made sure that many people could stay at home and avoid crowded markets.
Delhi government believes that delivery agents are at additional risk as their job involves travelling door to door and meeting multiple people throughout the day, it added.
For above 45 years, two days of Covaxin and 26 days of Covishield stocks are available, while for the 18-44 years age group, four days of Covaxin and eight days of Covishield doses are in stock, the Kalkaji MLA said.
On Wednesday, 47,978 doses were administered, out of which 25,527 were first doses and 22,451 second.
Over 58 lakh people have been vaccinated in the capital.
Atishi appealed to the Centre to make more vaccines available.