COVID-19: Delhi Govt prepares plan to vaccinate 18+ citizens in 3 months

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday held a meeting with government officials on the third phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the city. All those above 18 years of age will be eligible to get vaccinated in the country from May 1. The Delhi government has prepared a plan to vaccinate all adult citizens in the next three months, CM Kejriwal said in a tweet.

“Prepared a plan to vaccinate all above 18 years in the next 3 months. We will set up vaccination centres on a large scale. All eligible people must come forward to get vaccinated,” the CM said.

Earlier in the day, Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that Delhi does not have sufficient vaccines to inoculate people in the 18 to 44 age group and that purchase orders had been placed with manufacturers for the same. The minister, however, said preparations to vaccinate people in this category had been completed. 

Delhi faces oxygen shortage

Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia wrote to Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal seeking an increase in the supply quota from 490 to 976 metric tonnes. He also pointed out that the quota increased last time was coming from three plants situated more than 1500 km and has not reached the region even once in the last 10 days. 

With Delhi witnessing an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases, there has been a shortage of medical oxygen which is crucial to treat critical patients. With 24,149 fresh cases reported on April 27 and 20,201 on April 26 and 22,933 fresh cases on April 25, the chances of Delhi coming out victorious in the battle with enough oxygen supplies seem meagre. 

In the last 24 hours, India's clocked 3,79,257 fresh COVID-19 cases and 3,645 fatalities, taking the cumulative caseload to 1,83,76,524 cases and the death toll to 2,04,832.