Navi Mumbai: NMMC to focus on popular retail stores to speed up COVID-19 vaccination drive

In order to speed up the vaccination drive for Covid in the city, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has decided to set up vaccination centres at popular retail stores like D Mart where footfalls are very high on weekends. The civic body has already made one of its vaccination centres open till 10 pm for those who come from the office late.

The civic body is already operating vaccination centres at NMMC hospitals in Vashi, Nerul, Airoli, Belapur, Turbhe, ESIC Hospital and 23 urban health posts across the city. Now, the civic body is focusing on areas where the footfalls are very high.

Initially, the civic body is setting up a vaccine centre at seven D Marts in Nerul, Seawoods, Belapur, Koparkhairane, Ghansoli and Airoli. In addition, vaccination centres at Inorbit Mall and Nexus Mall in Seawoods have also started functioning again.

According to senior civic officials, the vaccination centres at D-Mart will be operational from 3 pm to 9 pm on weekdays from Monday to Friday and from 9 am to 9 pm on Saturday and Sunday as there are high footfalls on weekends. In addition, the civic body will also give prizes to beneficiaries from each vaccination centre on Independence Day as the vaccination drive for the precautionary is being given as part of “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

Earlier, NMMC decided to keep one of its centres open for precautionary doses of Covid vaccination till 10 pm to complete the vaccination drive as early as possible. Citizens who return home late from their offices can visit the Vashi hospital for the precautionary dose. So far, around 1.2 lakh citizens already have taken the third dose or the precautionary dose.

Union Health Department, under the 'Covid 19 Vaccination Amrit Mahotsav' for a period of 75 days from July 15 to September 30, citizens above 18 years of age will be given free precautionary doses. Those who have completed 26 weeks or six months can take the precautionary dose.

So far, 13,81,987 citizens have taken the first dose, 12,37,968 citizens have taken the second dose and 1,13,037 citizens have taken the third i.e. precautionary dose.