Gujarat to hold vaccination drive on Sunday: Deputy CM

The COVID-19 vaccination drive will be held on Sunday across Gujarat in order to increase the number of people covered, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel told the Assembly.

Currently, around two lakh people are vaccinated at 2,500 centres in the state on all days except Wednesday and Sunday, Patel, who holds the health portfolio, informed the House on Saturday.

"To cover a larger number of beneficiaries, we have decided to continue our drive this Sunday (March 21)," Patel said, and urged eligible MLAs to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

A state government release said that, as on Thursday, 26.41 lakh people have been given the first dose of the vaccine and 5.84 lakh people have got the second dose since the drive started on January 16.

On Thursday, over 2.21 lakh senior citizens and those in the 45 plus age group suffering from comorbidities were vaccinated, the release added.

The decision to have vaccination on Sunday as well comes after Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the state would increase the vaccination target to three lakh a day soon.