Food ordering platform Swiggy on Wednesday said it would cover the entire vaccination cost for its fleet of over 2 lakh delivery partners across the country.
This comes close to the heels of the central government's announcement on the next phase of the nationwide vaccination commencing April 1, 2021, for individuals aged 45 and above.
In the first tranche of the programme, 5,500 of Swiggy's delivery partners, aged 45 and above will be eligible to opt-in for the vaccination, Swiggy said in a statement.
By the end of the programme, Swiggy hopes to encourage 2,00,000 plus delivery partners with the choice to get vaccinated as they continue to provide an essential service. The company is also requesting authorities for the prioritisation of delivery partners in the vaccine drive, it added.
"As we continue to make all efforts to fight the pandemic, we're prioritising creating awareness across our fleet and extending our COVID cover to include access to vaccination for all delivery partners. We will also cover for the loss of pay when they take the time off to get vaccinated," Swiggy COO Vivek Sunder said.
This is another step in doing our bit for our partners who are supporting not just themselves and their families but also the society as essential service providers, he added.
In addition to life insurance, medical and accident cover, through the pandemic, the company has been providing loss of pay cover for partners recovering from COVID-19, Swiggy said.
